Celebrating summer's simplicity

Fresh fruit and vegetables, cooking hunks of raw meat over an unpredictable open fire, and a cooler full of beer--I wonder why everyone loves summer?  Here are some of my favorite ways to be lazy in the backyard this weekend:

a simple watermelon salad: chunks of watermelon, fresh strawberries, and torn mint leaves.

Pimm's Cup: Muddle cucumber and lemon slices in a tall glass. Pour in 2 oz. Pimm’s and 3 oz. ginger ale, and stir to combine. Add ice to fill the glass and garnish with lemon and mint.

grilled salmon: marinate hunks of salmon in equal parts soy sauce and brown sugar for 30 minutes, then cook on a well-oiled grill until just done.