The eggplant added an extra creaminess and the grilled flavors played off of the freshness of the mozzarella, tomato, and basil. A drizzle of balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil was the icing on the cake (eggplant cake?), giving a contrasting sharp tang and bite. More

Eat this Greek salad in the summer and you'll see that ripe tomatoes and cucumbers don't need anything more than a light dressing of olive oil and red wine vinegar to taste their best. More

Roasting tomatoes to concentrate their flavor is something I often do to improve tomatoes that aren't the best quality. But doing so with perfect tomatoes has an even more dramatic effect. Tucked into a sea of lentils coated in Dijon, goat cheese, olive oil, and herbs, they taste like everything you wish a sun-dried tomato would be with none of the bitterness. Sweet, salty, and tangy all at the same time. More

When looking for recipes to cook, I sometimes head to Food52 and look for the little widget on the side that tells you how many people are currently viewing their recipes. Big surprise that on a day in early August the most popular recipe was the Amagansett Corn Salad made of raw fresh corn, cherry tomatoes, snap peas, and not much else. The idea of raw corn might seem odd but as long as the corn is super fresh, it's all sweetness. More

Some believe that summer tomatoes need nothing more than a sprinkle of salt for that perfect tomato experience. I'm betting those folks haven't tried tomatoes sprinkled with sumac, the sour-aromatic red spice. Of course, the Turks have known about sumac's affinity for tomatoes for a while. This Tomato, Pomegranate and Sumac Salad from Silvena Rowe's Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume tops lovely, in-season tomatoes with crunchy ruby-hued pomegranate seeds and a dressing of sweet and tart pomegranate molasses and sumac. More

This simple salad made from finely shredded carrots, punchy mustard, and walnuts is healthy, light, and perfect for summer. More

The fish fillets are grilled quickly then immediately placed atop a handful of lettuce, which wilts the leaves just slightly. Cherry tomatoes, tarragon, and capers are all tossed with a simple vinaigrette then added on top. With those little tomatoes just starting to pop up at farmers' markets, this is the perfect time to check out what whitefish is all about. More

This is a delicious summer salad that you can eat with reckless abandon. Nourishing quinoa is infused with vegetable broth and dotted with fresh-cut sweet corn, juicy summer tomatoes, bright green scallions, spicy jalepeno peppers and chunks of creamy avocado. More

Creamy salads like chicken and tuna are pretty common summer lunchtime fare, but there's something about crab salad that feels like a special occasion. A little pricier than chicken and the chicken of the sea, crab is sweetly delicate, the sort of nuanced flavor that begs not to be overpowered. More

This salad is all about contrasts. In one bite you'll find pineapple, sweet and juicy with a citrus kick, then crisp, clean cucumbers, and a bit of cooling mint. Red peppers add crunch where tomatoes add a mellow sweetness. The dressing continues the theme of salty-sweet: Fish and soy sauces are tempered with sugar and lime juice. I always double the recipe to save some for lunch the next day. More