Summer has many charms — the sun lingers late, and vegetables and fruit taste so good, they don’t take much effort to turn into delicious, satisfying dishes. Thankfully, fresh produce hasn’t risen in price as much as other ingredients this year and is especially flavorful now.

We’ve given you loose formulas for six of our favorite combinations. Buy whatever looks and smells the most enticing (and costs the least), then play around with the suggestions provided, using amounts that make the most sense to you and your taste.

The dishes a variety of salad bases: leafy tosses that are crisp and fresh; sturdy mixes that can sit out for a couple of hours or be made the day before; fruit combinations that hit sweet and savory.

Go ahead and make these your own. Swap out bitter lettuces for milder ones, use a variety of fruits instead of just one kind, go wild with the herbs or banish them (hey, cilantro!). Season to taste — salt heightens flavors, tames bitterness and balances out sweetness and acidity, while pepper adds a floral bite. Whatever you do, don’t sweat it. It’s summertime, and the cooking should be easy.

Emulsifying a dressing isn’t essential for a sublime salad: Instead, think of the oil and acid as seasonings for a vegetable. For this recipe, that’s spicy arugula, dressed with olive oil, lemon and shards of Parmesan to create a salad classic in many Italian restaurants and homes. But whether olive oil or lemon should come first, like all seemingly simple questions, is complicated. James Beard, Marcella Hazan, Deborah Madison and Judy Rodgers all concurred: For a brighter-tasting salad, start with olive oil, which better adheres the liquids to the greens and doesn’t obscure the lemon. Be sure to use full-flavored greens, then taste the dressed leaves and adjust seasonings until the arugula tastes like its greatest self.

4 to 5 ounces baby arugula 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) 2 ounces Parmesan, shaved with a vegetable peeler

Place the arugula in a very large bowl, ideally one that could hold twice as many leaves. Drizzle over the olive oil and use your hands to toss lightly, then add the lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon salt. Lightly toss the greens until they are evenly glossy; avoid overmixing or crushing the greens.

Add the Parmesan and toss just to incorporate. Taste. If the salad is too sharp, add another drop of oil and toss. If the salad is dull, add a sprinkle of salt and some lemon juice and toss. Eat right away.

This fragrant take on Caesar salad uses up an entire tin of anchovies and replaces the sweet romaine with gloriously bitter radicchio. For the dressing: Though you could use a raw egg yolk and slowly stream in oil while whisking constantly, relying on the already emulsifying qualities of store-bought mayonnaise gets you to creamy heights with less fuss. This salad does not keep well, so serve it immediately, while the radicchio is still plump and crunchy. There’s no added salt in this recipe, as the many anchovies season both the breadcrumbs and the dressing. But should your radicchio be especially bitter — pleasant though that flavor can be — feel free to add a pinch of salt to help tame the bitterness.

1 (2-ounce) tin flat anchovy fillets packed in olive oil ½ cup coarse or panko breadcrumbs 1 garlic clove, finely grated 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon mayonnaise 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan, plus more for topping Freshly ground black pepper 1 large head or 2 small heads radicchio (1 pound), any wilted outer leaves removed, quartered lengthwise, cored and leaves separated

Prepare the breadcrumbs: Add all of the anchovy oil from the tin (about 2 tablespoons) to a large skillet. Transfer the anchovies from their tin to a cutting board, draining them well. Finely chop 2 anchovies and add to the skillet, then turn the heat to medium-high. Cook the anchovies, stirring occasionally, until they start to sizzle, about 1 minute. Stir in the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring constantly, until golden and toasted, 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Make the dressing: Set aside 4 anchovies (for garnish later) and finely chop the rest (there should be about 6). Add the chopped anchovies to a large bowl, along with the garlic, olive oil, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan. Season generously with pepper and whisk to combine.

Dress the salad: Add the radicchio leaves to the dressing and toss. The salad should be lightly dressed, not thickly caked. Taste for acidity, adjusting with more lemon juice if your radicchio is especially bitter. Transfer to a large plate, piling the leaves high. Top with a final grating of Parmesan and the breadcrumbs, and garnish with the remaining anchovies. Serve immediately.

High summer produce comes together in this simple mix, tangy with lime juice and full of fresh herbs. Even in the height of the season, corn gets a touch sweeter when heated, and the easiest way to do it is in the microwave. It takes just a few minutes to zap the corncobs in their husks, which makes them easy to shuck. The silks will slip right off the sweeter and still-crisp corn. Picking basil and cilantro leaves by hand then tearing them right over the salad keeps their delicate fragrance intact. Serve this with anything off the grill or alongside tacos or sandwiches.

5 ears of corn 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved 1 lime 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Salt ¼ teaspoon minced seeded fresh habanero or other very hot chile (optional) ½ cup fresh basil leaves ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves

Microwave the corn in their husks on high for 3 minutes. Shuck the corn — the silks will come off easily. (If you want to boil or steam the corn on the stovetop, you can shuck the corn first then cook just until brighter in color, 2 to 3 minutes.) Cut the kernels off the cobs, transfer them to a large bowl and add the tomatoes.

Finely grate the zest of the lime directly over the corn mixture, then squeeze the juice from the lime all over. Add the oil, a generous pinch of salt and the chile, if using. Mix well, then tear the herbs over the salad and gently fold them in. Season to taste with salt and serve, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 day.

Using plenty of lemon — both the zest and juice — is the secret to this tangy, creamy shrimp salad. If you’re using this to make sandwiches, chop the shrimp into pieces before adding them to the dressing. You can also leave the shrimp whole for an elegant salad, served with lettuce, avocado and other vegetables if you like. If you’re starting with precooked shrimp, you can skip the first step entirely.

Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 lemons 1 pound shelled large shrimp ¼ cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ½ cup diced celery ¼ cup diced red onion ¼ cup chopped fresh dill, parsley or cilantro (or a combination) Lettuce, avocado or other vegetables, for serving (optional)

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a simmer. Slice one of the lemons and add to the pot, along with the shrimp. Simmer, never letting the water boil if you can help it, until the shrimp turn opaque, 2 to 4 minutes, depending on their size. Drain well, and discard the lemon slices. If you like, you can chop the cooked shrimp into smaller pieces.

Grate the zest from the remaining lemon into a large bowl. Halve the naked lemon and squeeze the juice into the bowl. Whisk in the mayonnaise and oil.

Add the celery, onion, herbs and cooked shrimp, tossing to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat. Serve with lettuce and avocado, if you like.

Summer buffets often feature potato salad and pasta salad, but rice salad, quite popular throughout the Mediterranean, is another terrific option to keep in mind. This simple one, which takes inspiration from Middle Eastern cuisine, uses pantry ingredients. It is delicious on its own with a bit of salad or with grilled chicken or fish. To keep the rice grains separate, boil the rice in a large pot of water as for pasta.

2 cups short-grain rice, such as arborio Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons tahini 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest ½ cup currants, soaked in hot water and drained 1 cup whole roasted almonds, roughly chopped ½ cup whole roasted pistachios, roughly chopped 3 tablespoons snipped chives 3 tablespoons chopped mint 2 teaspoons chopped savory or thyme ½ cup chopped parsley

Bring 8 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Add the rice and 2 tablespoons salt. Boil rice as you would pasta, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes until done, but still al dente. Drain and spread out on a rimmed baking sheet to cool.

Once cool, transfer rice to a large salad bowl. In a small bowl, stir together olive oil, tahini, lemon juice and lemon zest. Add salt and pepper to taste. Gently fold mixture into rice.

Add currants, almonds, pistachios, chives, mint, savory and parsley. Toss to distribute. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more lemon juice or salt as necessary. Serve at room temperature.

A standout caprese starts with great fruit. You need ripe tomatoes to weep juices, which then mingle with grassy olive oil and milky cheese to make your dressing. Basil adds freshness, black pepper and flakes of sea salt add crunch, and that’s it, a perfect combination. But if the stone fruit options are looking better than the tomatoes at the market, you can use them instead. They’re similar in flavor to tomatoes, but need cajoling to relinquish their juices. By letting sliced fruit macerate with salt, sugar and lemon juice, their fruitiness becomes more electric and their juices pool on the plate. Start with fruit you can smell and pair it with equally quality ingredients. Caprese is more about shopping than cooking.

2 pounds ripe but firm stone fruit (such as nectarines, peaches, plums, cherries or a mix) 1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus more as needed 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, plus more as needed Flaky sea salt 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, at room temperature About 20 basil or mint leaves, or a combination, torn if large 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed Freshly ground black pepper

Pit the stone fruit and cut into irregular pieces. Transfer to a serving platter, then sprinkle with the lemon juice, sugar and ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt. Toss with your hands, then let sit until juices pool on the platter, 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and adjust sugar, salt and lemon juice until the fruit tastes perky and bright — like the greatest stone fruit you’ve eaten.

Tear the mozzarella into bite-size pieces and nestle it among the fruit. Tuck in the herb leaves. Drizzle the platter with olive oil. If the cheese looks dry, add a little more oil. Sprinkle with a few grinds of black pepper and a pinch of flaky salt, and serve.

Lo writes for The New York Times, where this article first appeared.

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