Complete Summer Cookbook

No one wants to hang over a stove on a hot day. When fresh produce beckons but you don't have the energy to respond, these recipes help you settle into a more relaxed kind of cooking designed to keep you and your kitchen cool. Untether yourself from the oven with make-ahead meals best served cold (or at room temp), such as Poached Salmon with Cucumber-Tomato salad and Tzatziki. Fix-and-forget recipes like pulled pork made in an electric pressure cooker or slow cooker won't steam up the kitchen. Equally easy are dinner salads; we have enough recipes to keep them interesting and varied, from Shrimp and White Bean Salad with Garlic Toasts to Grilled Caesar Salad. Requiring barely more effort are fresh summer recipes requiring the briefest stint in a pan, such as Beet and Carrot Noodle Salad with Pan-Seared Chicken or Braised Sea Bass with Zucchini and Tomatoes.

You'll find all you need for casual patio meals prepared entirely on the grill (from meat to veggies, even pizza). Throw a fantastic cookout with easy starters, frosty drinks, and new twists on picnic must-haves such as Spice-Rubbed Picnic Chicken, Texas Potato Salad, and Lemony Buttermilk Coleslaw. Visited the farmers' market? Find ideas for main dishes as well as sides inspired by the seasonal bounty, plus the best fruit desserts worth turning the oven on for. To end your meal on a cooler note, turn to a chapter of icebox desserts and no-bake sweets.

Summer-themed chapters are full of recipe suggestions. Chapters such as Small Bites, Picnic-Table Favorites, Seasonal Sides, and Summer Fruit Desserts make it easy to find just the right recipes for any occasion.

Bean and potato salads, slaws, burgers, ribs and brisket, fruit pies, strawberry shortcake, no-churn ice cream, ice pops, and more.

Whether a gathering is large or just you and the family, there are plenty of easy options for a patio party, cookout, or picnic that are sure to impress. The helpful menus in the introduction provide inspiration for all kinds of party ideas.