Super Simple Summer Snack

Summers around these parts are a melt-inducing blend of heat and humidity. To survive one must operate at about half speed. In the shade. With lots of breaks.

Usually by the end of June or start of July we are altering our cooking and eating habits. Taking it easy and staying cool are the goals, in addition to growing what we can, and making dishes that are tasty and nutritious.

For months in the summer we do not use our oven, except on the coolest days. We don't even like to use the stovetop if that can be avoided. And it can.

We love super simple no-cook meals, like todays lunch.

I began by harvesting some fresh basil and leaf lettuce from our garden. Any other veggies can be added, and what we had available today was red bell pepper and carrots (from the store).

To the veggies we add tofu that has been cut in strips, marinated in a blend of soy sauce and sesame oil, then sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.

To enjoy this wholesome food, we grab a leaf of lettuce, then fill it with a piece of marinated tofu, plus a slice of red pepper and carrot. We complete it by laying in a whole leaf of fresh basil.

If the lettuce leaf is large enough it can be folded up like a wrap, then devoured in a semi-controlled manner with as little drooling as possible. 

But they are tasty, and that is hard to do. 

I would recommend distancing if you eat these around other people.

Stay cool, everyone. It's getting hot out there, in more ways than one. 

And try not to drool. Much.

So hot...