With the warmer weather headed this way, our sister site Parents Ask shares five salad and side dish ideas perfect to beat summer heat. 

Romy Schorr of Parents Ask Says: The heat is on! I am all about this awesome warm summer weather and making easy, cool salads and side dishes that compliment the season. I am thinking light refreshing and tasty ingredients like watermelon, cucumbers, summer corn, strawberries, avocado and feta to name a few. I am thinking portable salads and sides that are easy to take on a summer picnic, to a BBQ, to the beach or to a concert in the park. Below are descriptions and links to some of my favorite recipes of the season. Enjoy and stay cool!

1.    Summer Corn and Orzo Salad with Cucumber-Feta Dressing Bon Appétit  June 2001 
This is hands down my favorite go to summer salad recipe. The flavors are divine-I love the sweet summer corn combined with feta and cucumber. It’s sweet, crisp, fresh, salty and Mediterranean-esque. Everyone always asks me for copies of this recipe, and to me, it always signifies that summer has arrived. I think it goes great with grilled fish or chicken and a crisp Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris.

2.    Apple Slaw Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee 
This is a cool, crunchy and sweet summer side salad recipe that goes great with BBQ or something spicy. This dish tends to go over well with the kids because of the sweetness and the apples. And the best part: SUPER easy to prepare!

3.    Watermelon Salad with Mint Leaves  Paula Deen

In my opinion, nothing says summer quite like a fresh, juicy succulent watermelon and this easy and refreshing salad from Paula Deen, really showcases the flavor of this summer season melon. The combination of sweet watermelon, savory feta, and bright mint is perfection!

Read the rest at Parents Ask.com. 

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