Summer Slacking Salads

June marks the start of my summer slacking season on the blog. Hey, in Wisconsin, warm weather begins in June and ends mid-September, if we’re lucky—so there’s some urgency to take advantage of it.

These are my dos and don’ts for a nice summer evening in Milwaukee:

Do: Go for a walk or bike ride on the lakefront

Don’t: Go to the gym

Do: Read on the patio at Alterra

Don’t: Read at home

Do: Get custard at Kopp’s

Don’t: Bake

Do: Make salad

Don’t: Make anything that leaves grease stains on your stove

So, salad. Here’s a little number I made on a hot day last week. Mix everything in a big bowl.

• Brie, cut up in chunks
• Sliced tomatoes (make sure both brie and tomatoes are at room temperature—they will taste better)
• Chopped scallions
• Black olives
• Chopped parsley
• Thinly sliced onions
• Dressing: something Italian, or a red wine vinegar/balsamic/olive oil combo

And here are a few other low-maintenance salads to make during summer slacking season, ranked by time commitment:

• Russian Chopped Salad (Chop, mix)
• Leftovers Salad (Scour fridge for leftovers)
• Crunchy Summer Salad (Chop, mix, boil egg)
• Roasted Vegetable Salad (Chop, turn oven on)
• Potato Summer Salad (Cook potatoes)