Sometimes the best meals are the result of accident, not careful planning. In today's fast-paced society, many of us get caught up in the minutiae of life, forgetting that much of the fun comes from spontaneity, creativity and forgetting about the calendar every now and again. We hustle about, making lunch dates, getting the kids to sports practice, and ensuring that deadlines are made and kept. All of this leaves little time for "planning" our meals. However, planning meals can stifle creativity, forcing us into the drive-thru at dinnertime.

Here's a suggestion for the remainder of the summer: go to the farmers' market on Saturday morning (get up early, just once, to get there when it opens), peruse the goods, and fill a reusable bag with fresh-from-the-ground goodies to fill your and your families' tummies. Take advantage of the place in which we live, filled with fields of vegetables, fruits and animals that supply our necessary sustenance.

Forget the cookbooks, recipe websites, and cooking shows – let your heart, soul and stomach guide you to what's good. Talk with the vendors about how they use their wares to feed their own families. Take notes, if you'd like. Explore. Learn. Remember that good food is simple. Good food means good ingredients. And there's no better place to attain those ingredients than from our local farmers.

Use these recipes as a guide, not as scripture. Insert your own ideas, and please, be sure to report back!

Summer Bounty Salad

Omit or add ingredients, as you wish. This dish is best served chilled and is a great accompaniment to grilled meats. From the onions you'll get chromium and vitamin C; from the peppers, vitamins A and K; from the tomatoes, vitamin C, multiple vitamin B complexes and lycopene; and from the carrots, beta carotene. All of these vegetables and herbs also provide a healthy dose of dietary fiber.

1 tomato, 1-inch dice, or ½ pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 sweet onion, 1-inch dice
1 cucumber, 1-inch dice
1 sweet bell pepper, 1-inch dice, or 1 hot pepper, sliced
3-6 baby carrots, ½-inch dice
4 ounces feta cheese, 1-inch dice (can be marinated or flavored)
½ cup olive oil, hemp oil, or vegetable oil
¼ cup red wine, champagne, rice or other vinegar
½ cup roughly chopped herbs (whatever you have available: parsley, cilantro, basil, chives, thyme, oregano, etc.)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Whisk together the oil and vinegar, adding about ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Place all of the vegetables in a shallow bowl or baking dish, sprinkle with the herbs, and pour the dressing over the veggies. Combine well and refrigerate for at least one hour. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Serves 6.

Creamy Cucumber Salad

Originating in what is now India, cucumbers are a good source of vitamins C and A, as well as potassium, manganese, folate, dietary fiber, magnesium, and the mineral silica. They are in season and refreshing in these hot summer months, although they can be purchased year round in grocery stores. Try several different varieties in this salad.

1 pound (about 3-4 medium) cucumbers
1 red onion or 3 shallots
¼ cup vinegar
¼ cup water
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped fresh dill
½ cup chopped fresh mint
½ cup Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper, to taste

Slice the cucumbers lengthwise, then slice half-moons on a bias, about ¼-inch thick. (The seeds can be removed if desired, but they provide a lot of the fiber.) Peel and cut the onion in half, then slice it thinly. Combine the vinegar, water, sugar and salt and stir until dissolved. Pour the solution over the cucumbers and onions, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Drain the cucumbers. Stir in the herbs and yogurt, and season with salt and pepper (a pinch of white pepper is great in this salad). Refrigerate the salad for at least an hour. Serve chilled. Serves 6.

Roasted Beets

Beets are high in folate, potassium, manganese, dietary fiber, vitamin C and iron. While they are hard when purchased raw, once cooked, beets become soft and silky, with almost a buttery, earthy flavor that packs a powerful sweetness. Beets are high in sugar content, but they are still considered a low-calorie food.

8 small to medium sized beets, greens removed, leaving about one inch of stem
1 teaspoon olive oil
Several sprigs of herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage are best)
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°. Scrub the beets gently with a vegetable brush and toss with the olive oil and some salt and pepper. Place the beets on top of the herbs in a roasting pan that can be tightly covered with foil, or a lidded casserole dish. Add a splash of water to the bottom of the dish and cover. Bake for 30 minutes to one hour, depending on the size of the beets (the larger, the longer the cooking time). When ready, a knife can be easily inserted into one. Remove from the oven and allow the beets to cool in the covered dish. When cool, slice off the tops and bottoms and the skins should peel off easily. Serve warm or chilled with a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream. Serves 2-4.