This morning I was invited to do a Facebook Live called “Celebrating Summer’s Bounty.” Normally, you’d find me with a paintbrush in hand on a Monday, but today? Nope. I didn’t feel like painting (weird, I know). Instead, I leaned into the season in another way—through food.
I headed to a local farm stand, where the bins of tomatoes and cucumbers were just calling my name. There is nothing better than the smell and taste of a fresh garden tomatoe! These salads remind me so much of my mom. She always made two of my favorite side dishes during the summer months: her simple tomato and cucumber salad and her sweet Polish cucumber salad. Add to that a fresh twist I’ve been loving—watermelon, feta, and mint—and suddenly I had three quick, refreshing side dishes that taste like pure summer to me and my family.
My Three Go-To Summer Salads
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Watermelon, Feta, and Mint Salad
Sweet, salty, and refreshing. The watermelon is juicy perfection, the feta adds that creamy tang, and the mint makes it feel cool and crisp. S&P and the juice of a lime and you are all set!
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Polish Cucumber Salad
Thinly sliced cucumbers, veggie oil, sugar, and a white vinegar. It’s s but sweet and tangy, and every bite reminds me of my roots and my mom’s kitchen. You can add a little onion of you want.
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Tomato, Cucumber, and Red Onion Salad
Fresh, crunchy, and tangy—this one is pure nostalgia. My mom made it on repeat every summer, and I swear I can taste those childhood dinners just by looking at it.
EVOO(Extra virgin olive oil), red wine vinegar and S&P. Easy, Fast, Fresh
These salads aren’t fussy or complicated. They’re quick to make, filled with flavor, and exactly the kind of dishes you throw together when you want to savor summer without turning on the oven.
You can watch the Step by Step Video on how I made all 3 of these summer side salads here:
A Weekend of Nostalgia
Maybe it was fitting that I made these family-inspired dishes today, because I spent the weekend swimming in nostalgia. I wandered through the Polish Town Fair—something I hadn’t done in years—and it tugged at my heart with all its familiar sights, smells, and sounds. I had the best kilebasa sandwich from the Euro Deli.
Then, in the most old-fashioned way possible, I did something hardly anyone does anymore: the pop-in. Yep, I stopped by the home of an old family friend I hadn’t seen in decades. No texting first, no scheduling. Just a genuine, “let’s see if they’re home.”
And guess what? They were.
It was wonderful to see this couple—now in their 80s—still warm, welcoming, and full of stories. And getting to know their beautiful granddaughter was the cherry on top of that visit. The entire thing felt like stepping back in time, like life slowed down for a little while. Nothing had changed and everything had changed. There was a time when this mom was my first and second mom. She meant the world to me and helped shaped the wife and mom I am today. She has spent her life working hard, being a wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, raising her family and enjoying her grandkids and great grandkids. All the things women do to keep it together. It was wonderful to see her and catch up.
Finding Summer Joy
So no, I didn’t paint this morning. Instead, I celebrated summer’s bounty in another way—through food, memories, and connections. Sometimes creativity shows up in the kitchen instead of on the canvas. Sometimes joy is found in a farm stand tomato, or in an unexpected reunion at the door of an old friend.
And if you ask me, that’s what summer’s really about—simple pleasures, fresh flavors, and the people who make it all memorable.
-teresa XO
