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Can’t think about cooking with the thermometer soaring? Me, either, but I still think about eating, which is why I adore no-cook meals this time of year.

Monday’s high was 99, yesterday’s was 98—and the dew point never fell below 70. Yuck! The forecast for today and the rest of the week is 97 to 99, so no-cook meals are essential.

My no-cook meals fall, generally, into two categories, salads and sandwiches, with uncooked cold soups offering a light alternative. Turns out I can’t put them all in one post without running really long, so I’ll post salad ideas today, and sandwich and soup ideas tomorrow.

If “salad” means “lettuce” to you, then it’s time to broaden your view, especially since lettuce isn’t so great this time of year, but there’s lot of other fresh produce (usually available from local sources). Here are ideas for main-course salads that you can throw together with simple ingredients. They’re healthy, too:

Tuna and beans

These two ingredients make for endless combinations that will always taste good when you add fresh ingredients. Here’s my approach, which makes two generous, meal-sized servings. If you have leftovers, the vegetables will lose a little in the color and texture department, but the salad will still taste good:

• Drain a can of tuna (unless it’s packed in olive oil) and put in a bowl big enough to hold and allow mixing of all the ingredients.
• Rinse and drain a can of beans, and add to the bowl. I like the text of great northerns with tuna.
• For flavor, add a couple tablespoons of minced onion or shallots and a couple tablespoons minced fresh herbs (consider parsley, cilantro, chives, tarragon, oregano, mint, alone or in combination).
• Add a cup or two of vegetables for color and texture: diced cucumber, tomatoes, summer squash, bell pepper are all plentiful and delicious right now.
• If you feel like it, add some slivered almonds or walnuts for texture and more protein.
• Then, finish by tossing with your favorite vinaigrette or, as I usually do, give it a dose of ground black pepper, a couple tablespoons white wine vinegar and a couple tablespoons good olive oil. With the canned fish and beans, you probably don’t need to add salt.

Cheese and vegetables

With this combination, start with vegetables as your base and top with cheese and olives at the end. I recommend making only as much as you plan to eat today. I’ve written this one up more like a recipe, but I’m adding notes to where you can vary it according to your preferences or available ingredients. Throw all the following in a bowl:

• 2 bell peppers (preferrably 1 red and 1 green or yellow) cut into slivers
• 1 rinsed and drained can of dark-red kidney beans (or black beans or whatever beans you like)
• 2 tablespoons minced sweet onion
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes (or diced big tomatoes)
• 1 cup of other vegetables, such as shredded or diced summer squash (optional)
• 3 tablespoons minced cilantro or parsley (or other herbs you like/have on hand)
• 4 ounces feta cheese (or other salty, crumbly cheese)
• 1/2 cup Greek olives
• 1/3 cup (or to taste) vinaigrette, or red wine vinegar & oil, or lemon juice and oil

It’s good served with tortilla chips, too.

All-purpose combo

Still don’t know what to make? Use these guidelines:

• For protein: 1 can rinsed, drained beans or 1/2 cup chopped nuts or 1 can tuna or 1 can salmon (or a combination of two)
• For flavor: a couple tablespoons minced onion or green onions or 1 clove garlic, minced, plus a couple tablespoons minced fresh herbs or 1/2-1 teaspoon dry herbs
• For color, texture, and vitamins: 2 cups fresh raw vegetables, sliced, diced or chopped. Good choices are tender or crisp when raw and include peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash, peas (if you can find them this time of year), very young tender green beans, shredded carrots.
• To bring them all together: A nice vinaigrette, or vinegar and oil, or plain yogurt, or mayonnaise.

More ideas

• You can expand your options further if you have leftover (meaning you did cook them at one time or another) hard-cooked egg, grains (such as rice, quinoa, bulgur) or meat, which you can dice or shred.

• Rather than serve your salad on a plate, put it in a pasta bowl, or use it to stuff an oversized tomato or green pepper for a change in presentation.

Keep cool! Tomorrow: No cook meals in the form of sandwiches and soups.

Post script: After I wrote this but before I posted it, I went to the Community Mercantile to pick up a couple of items and saw Real Simple magazine on the rack next to the cashiers. The cover story? No cook summer meals. Theirs have prettier pictures than mine, but my post has more ideas! :)