Summer is the perfect time to give your stove a rest and kick back with some fast, no-cook meals made with veggies you can grab at your farmers’ market.

For a tasty alternative to a ho-hum salad, thinly slice zucchini and toss with extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Add a few dollops of ricotta and sprinkle with fresh herbs.

Craving a Cobb salad? Make it with corn cut fresh from the cob. Add a superfood boost by tossing in baby spinach for plenty of additional vitamins A and C, iron and folate. Top it off with cherry tomatoes, a few cubes of avocado and diced hard-boiled eggs — add extra whites if you like. Sprinkle with some crumbled blue cheese and a drizzle of antioxidant-rich extra-virgin olive oil, and you’ll never miss the bacon.

Want a no-fuss do-ahead meal that goes from fridge to table? Tomato gazpacho with sherry vinegar and fresh garden peppers is a cold soup that will be ready when you are, and it’s very fast to make.

Easy Tomato Gazpacho

• 2 pounds tomatoes, quartered
• 1 cup chopped green bell peppers
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 1/4 cup whole almonds
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Puree until you reach desired chunkiness and then chill for about an hour before serving.

Yield: 4 servings

More information

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a resource guide for families to make the most of summer foods and encourage healthy eating.

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