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I won’t carry on about the weather. Suffice it to say that I woke up Saturday morning, looked outside and thought to myself, “Finally.” Summer is near. I stood on my deck, conjuring up images of lying in my hammock, with a good Carl Hiaasen novel in hand, or of uncovering my summer-only car, hand waxing it and getting it road-ready.

Of course, these thoughts are interrupted by the fact that at any moment my girlfriend (who I refer to as Nana of the greatest little first grader I know) is going to discover the shift in the weather and hand me a honey-do list that is longer than Santa’s good list. Before she finds me, I think I will start on my own list. At the top, cleaning up the Weber grill! And if there’s time left over, maybe I’ll rake a few of those leaves left over from last fall.

We Fairbanksans wait a long time for summer. In an effort to make the most of it, we pack as much in a day as we can.

Whether it’s summer activities for our kids, or summer activities for ourselves, summer means busy. With busy summers comes a different style of cooking. Sometimes this means more trips through the drive-thru, or a quick trip through the salad bar or the deli as we gas up our vehicles to head out of town for the weekend. It means great outdoor cooking with friends or family. And sometimes it means “it’s too hot to cook, and I am too tired to prepare a big meal.”

Being busy doesn’t mean you have to skimp on good, healthy, tasteful food!

Last month I wrote about salad dressings, this month I am going to write about salads. Not the kind of salads that you get before or alongside a meal. But a salad that’s a meal in itself. This Apple and Carrot Salad is one of my favorites. You can serve it traditionally, alongside a pork tenderloin or grilled salmon, or you can make it a meal in itself by slicing up the tenderloin (or salmon) and tossing it into the salad.

APPLE AND CARROT SALAD WITH CURRY VINAIGRETTE

8 carrots peeled and ends cut off

2 apples

1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

1/4 cup olive oil (light)

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste  When choosing your apples, choose one that’s a little tart, like a granny smith or something medium-sweet like a pink lady or one that’s sweet-tart like a cameo.

Slice down around the core and then slice thin. With a peeler, peel strips of carrot lengthwise, then toss with apple in a bowl.

With a mini hand blender mixer or a wire whip, combine honey, vinegar, a pinch of salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon of curry. (Depending on how strong you like your curry add the other 1/2 tablespoon, if you wish). Add oil slowly in a steady steam, again either with a mixer running or whisking by hand. Pour dressing over apples and carrots and toss with parsley.

If you’re making a meal out of the salad, add the freshly grilled tenderloin or salmon right before serving. This salad is best if served immediately.

WARM SPINACH SALAD WITH BACON DRESSING

This spinach salad is a perfect starter to a meal, or can be modified to be a meal in itself. This salad takes a little bit of planning, have your ingredients ready before you begin cooking.

6 ounces baby spinach (one bag or 8 cups)

10 slices thick-cut bacon

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup fine-chopped red onion

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Hard-boiled eggs and tomato wedges to garnish

Start by dissolving the sugar into the vinegar and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Cut bacon into 1/2-inch pieces. Fry over medium heat until crispy and then transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels. Pour off the bacon grease and save. In the same pan add 3-4 tablespoons of grease and saute onion over medium heat. When onion softens add garlic, when you can smell the garlic add your vinegar mixture. (When adding vinegar to a dish like this the fumes can be a little overwhelming, but turn your head away and they will dissipate quite quickly.) Working quickly with a wooden spoon, scrape the font (the brown bits) off the bottom of the pan, pour dressing over spinach and toss until slightly wilted. Plate and garnish.

DARRYL’S WALDORF SALAD

My mum makes a great Walfdorf salad. I have always loved this salad — crisp apples, plump sweet raisins, and crunchy walnuts tossed in a delicious creamy dressing. With her salad as inspiration, I came up with a similar variation. Equally delicious with a little bit of an edge. Gorgonzola cheese tossed with firm red grapes and crisp greens and homemade ranch dressing. Topped with freshly toasted almonds and slice-grilled chicken.  6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 7-8 ounces each)

1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

2 cups washed, stemmed red grapes

12 ounces homemade ranch dressing

1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

1 pint washed grape tomatoes

1 head romaine lettuce

1 head green leaf lettuce  Clean and chop green leaf and romaine — I like to dry my greens with a salad spinner, since wet greens just waters down your dressing. Place dry greens in a large mixing bowl with Gorgonzola and grapes. Keep cold.

Grill you chicken breasts on a clean, oiled charcoal grill. It will give your chicken that great outdoor grilled favor that you are not going to get from a gas grill.

When your chicken is cooked through, let it rest while you dress your salad with the homemade ranch. Toss salad and place onto six large salad bowls or plates. Sprinkle almonds on top of each salad and garnish around the plate with grape tomatoes.

With a sharp knife, slice your chicken breast on a slight bias. Place one breast on top of each salad plate and serve.

This salad is a wonderful summer dinner salad, and simple to make! It almost comes close to my all-time favorite, the Grilled New York Cobb salad that I have mentioned in previous articles. If you missed those or would like a copy please contact me.

Here’s to a great summer!

Darryl Allan is food and beverage director for Fountainhead Hotels, which includes Zach’s Restaurant at Sophie Station Hotel. He enjoys sharing his passion for fun, creative and great-tasting food. E-mail him at fb@fdifairbanks.com.