I love summer and I love cooking, but I’m not a huge fan of cooking in the summer. Cooking heats the whole house and it takes forever for the stuffiness to dissipate. Plus, time spent cooking generally is time spent not outside. But still, I do like to eat in the summer and I don’t want to waste money eating out all of the time. So, what to do, what to do…..

• If possible, grilling is a great option. It keeps the heat outside instead of heating up the house. Plus, it even lets you be outside while you are cooking, perhaps drinking an adult beverage and taking your turn at bocce.
• If you do grill, it’s always a great plan to grill extra meat and veggies. Those already cooked foods can become the basis of later meals as salads or sandwiches.
• If you decide to cook, try to do as much cooking as possible all at once. Then all you’ll need to do is a quick reheat later.
• A slow cooker or Instapot isn’t a bad idea. It doesn’t heat the house as badly and you can make things (like pulled pork or beef) that can be stretched over several meals.
• Look for entrees that can be served cold or at room temperature, Gazpacho, salad greens topped with leftover grilled meat, or farro mixed with leftover grilled veggies and a bit of balsamic are always great options.

You want to avoid anything that has to cook a long time (apart from in the slow cooker). Braising and stewing are to be avoided. In addition, you want to minimize baking. Now is not the time of year to perfect your bread recipe (unless you plan to bake in the middle of the night when the house is at its coolest).

Focus on seasonal foods and you can stay cool while you eat well.