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One benefit of summertime fruit is that stray pieces often are hanging about. Before they go bad, put them into a plastic bag and throw it in the freezer. Then use the frozen stuff to mix up a smoothie. My favorite, although combinations are virtually inexhaustible, is a half-cup each of frozen blueberries, low-fat vanilla yogurt and milk whirred in a blender with a couple of ice cubes. Sometimes I add a bit of honey to taste. To add staying power, blend in nut butter or protein powder.
A Cobb salad’s ingredients are probably in the fridge – summer sausage and cheese of choice cut into cubes for protein, lettuce and tomatoes. “Canned beans and tofu would also work well,” Hadley says. Classic Cobbs take bacon bits (from a bottle or the soy kind) and hard-boiled eggs, but you can do them in advance or buy them at the deli. Mix with your favorite bottled dressing; she suggests vinaigrette or “anything mayonnaise-based.”
If the weatherman predicts a hot manana, try ceviche, a South American method of “cooking” raw fish with acid, not heat. Combine a firm-fleshed fish such as halibut, cod or shrimp (thawed if frozen in the refrigerator overnight) with the juice of two or three limes plus a sprinkling of salt. Marinate for about an hour, half that if you want it less “cooked.” (Because of safety concerns about raw seafood, some now recommend using cooked fish marinated for 15 to 30 minutes.) Add chopped onion, a little bit of canned chile pepper or seeded jalapeńo, a fresh squeeze of lime and chopped cilantro right before serving, tostada-style, with garnishes of chopped lettuce and sliced tomato (or tomatillo) and avocado.
