Food

Forget the boring, bland canned fruit salad of your youth, and mix up this effortlessly elegant version instead. Sorrel’s large, spinachlike leaves have a tart, bright flavour, complemented further by lemon. Mint and honey smooth things out, while “adult sprinkles” in the form of toasted almonds ground into a rich, nutty powder act as the metaphorical cherry on top. TIP: Sorrel can be harder to find (that is, unless you grow it). Replace it with any mild, leafy herb or a mixture, such as basil and/or tarragon.

This dinner-worthy salad is a feast of appetizing textures and flavours. Peaches provide sweetness, while beans deliver satisfying protein and fibre. Sweet and fiery at once, habit-forming Peppadew (sweet piquanté) peppers can be found in most deli sections. Or substitute them with roasted red pepper. If you’re not a fan of goat cheese, feta will work here too.

Make and take

Dandelion greens are a delightfully bitter green known for their role in promoting good digestion, as well as being rich in vitamin A. The greens are readily available in grocery stores, if you can’t find wild. Increase the wild food factor and tone down the bitterness by adding a small splash of birch syrup to these dandelion greens.

From coast to coast to coast, Canada is home to a number of wild berry varieties. Many, like mulberries, even grow in urban backyards. Berries are one of the easiest wild foods to locate during the summer months—a very good thing, as you’ll want to make these fudgy blondies more than once. Use the wild berries available in your neck of the woods such as wild blueberries, Saskatoon berries, mulberries, or salal berries.

My first introduction to foraging came from an afternoon kayaking in Tofino, BC. I harvested noodle-like kelp to enjoy that evening in brown rice sushi, and later, when dry, to grind and store in the pantry. However, there’s no need to hop in a kayak to make this recipe—use dried seaweed, available at natural food stores, instead. Increase the protein by adding wild smoked salmon, smoked tofu, or tempeh.

Ramps, or wild leeks, have a delightfully pungent yet mellow onion flavour. Salicornia, otherwise known as sea asparagus, is often found pickled or brined, and adds acidic brightness to this simple pasta meal. If one or both are unavailable, utilize regular leeks instead of ramps, and capers instead of pickled salicornia for a similar result. Instead of ramps, try leeks, garlic scapes, wild green garlic, or even green onions.

Consider this cooling basil- and lime-infused panna cotta after a spicy Thai curry. If it’s available to you, employ Thai (purple) basil for the zippiest result, though regular basil works just as well. Agar is a tasteless seaweed derivative that sets liquids much like gelatin, but is suitable for plant-based diets. It is available at many health food stores. TIP: A lemon and thyme version of this versatile panna cotta, garnished with fresh raspberries, would be equally stunning.

Look for the chocolate mint variety of fresh mint at your local garden centre, or use any variety of fresh mint you can find. Chocolate mint has a built-in chocolate flavour, making it fantastic for desserts featuring this classic, refreshing combo. TIP: Elevate this chocolate mint fudge by serving a square on a dessert plate; garnish with fresh berries and a sprig of mint.

Grilling fruits concentrates and caramelizes their natural sugars, making them sweeter. You can also use apricots, nectarines, or peaches. Add a dollop of Greek yogurt instead of ice cream, or top the crisp with Lemony Banana Ice Cream.

Lemony Banana “Ice Cream”

Potato salad is a summertime classic, but too often it’s also a calorie bomb. Here, a reasonable amount of tangy Greek yogurt offers a higher protein alternative to mayo, while the mustard and smoked paprika ensures each mouthful is as delicious as it is nutritious. The walnuts add healthy fats along with a nice textural contrast.

Boiled over

If you want to step up your salad game, look no further than the grill. The result is a salad that’s Instagram-ready and packed with new flavour nuances. The flat leaves of Tuscan kale are less likely to burn than curly kale, whose edges are prone to singeing. If you’re not using a vegetable basket, be sure to skewer the cherry tomatoes together. A scattering of crumbled goat cheese would only serve to make this salad even more crave worthy.

Calling all kale!

How to turn a turkey burger into something your backyard guests will swoon over? Spread on this smoky berry sauce that offers a sweet heat and a wonderful counterpoint to turkey. A bit of goat cheese helps infuse the meat with creamy moisture, which is especially important if you’re using lean ground turkey breast.

Meatballs are for spaghetti

In this play on a classic Italian salad, pesto, fresh cheese, and punchy greens brighten and elevate what is already highly flavourful grass-fed beef. Make it even more awesome by going the extra mile and grilling the tomato slices. You can even make your own pesto.

Buns away

Kale salad is made hearty with the addition of quinoa, cheddar, and crispy candied nuts. It’s filling enough to be served as a main course, but can be easily served as a side (for up to six diners). Seasonal, simple, and made with common ingredients, you’ll want to keep this recipe in your repertoire for satisfying lunches and light dinners. Drizzle this creamy dressing over avocado toast in the morning, or create a zestier chickpea or egg salad sandwich for lunch.

When life gives you lemons, make this lemonade-inspired water infusion. To make this infusion an electrolyte-rich post-workout drink, forgo the ice, add a splash of unsweetened coconut water, and toss in a pinch of Himalayan sea salt.

Fresh basil lends its distinctive bold flavour to this refreshing beverage. Basil is a warm-weather herb that can quickly turn black when exposed to the cold air in your refrigerator. Protect basil from spoilage by loosely wrapping it in a dishcloth and storing it in your crisper.

Finely chopping raw broccoli (including its stems) creates a pleasing, deli-style slaw that will keep well for a few days. Tossed with sweet hazelnuts, fresh summer berries, and cooked chicken (or chickpeas), this is a dish that will have no issues disappearing. Serve this salad as a main course or side dish, or on a bed of greens or cooked quinoa.

Always refreshing, cucumber, honeydew melon, and mint join forces to create this mojito-inspired thirst quencher. For an extra minty burst of flavour, rub a mint leaf around the rim of your serving glass just before serving.

Asian-inspired noodles with a hint of Sriracha spice up this unexpected, very green summer salad. Peanut butter and miso infuse the Master Vinaigrette with a decadent, dairy-free creaminess, while fresh chopped mint and cucumber keep things refreshing. Make a handheld romaine lettuce “taco” with this salad instead of eating it with a fork or chopsticks.

This salad is bursting with tropical flavour, brightened up with a floral coconut-lime dressing and sweet pineapple. Plus, it’s topped with omega-3-packed salmon. You’ll love this quick salad stunner in the heat of summer, though it can be made all year long with its season-less ingredients. Skip stodgy potato salad at your next picnic and use this creamy coconut dressing to coat roasted or steamed baby new potatoes instead.

This master recipe is the base for the dressings on the following four summertime salads. Tangy, bright, and perfectly sweet, this dressing tastes as good in a bowl of plain leafy greens as it does in our imaginative salads. This makes approximately 1 cup (250 mL) dressing, enough for 2 Tbsp (30 mL) per individual salad. Employ this dressing as a dip for raw veggies, drizzle onto grilled fish, toss with pasta, and more—the sky is the limit with this Master Vinaigrette!

Undeniably, watermelon is one of summer’s quintessential fruits. So when grilling season is in full swing, be sure to grill watermelon. Grilling gives it an almost meaty texture that makes this ruby fruit a standout addition to a salad.

Bright pink and subtly sweet, this cream soda-inspired infusion is bursting with vanilla flavour. It makes the perfect treat on a hot day. Pitting cherries doesn’t have to be a messy chore. Remove cherry pits almost effortlessly by pushing a drinking straw down through the top of the cherry. This will push the pit out of the bottom.

These basil-heavy savoury crepes are restaurant worthy, but rest assured they aren’t a high-flying kitchen feat. For a vegetarian version, try stuffing them with chickpeas and spinach. The batter can be mixed together up to 24 hours in advance if covered and chilled. Garnish with basil microgreens, if you like.

Flower Power