Simply Salmon (Baked Salmon, Dill Yogurt Cream)

Simple, classic, foolproof. There are some combinations so basic and endemic across cuisines that writing about them seems almost like cheating. In the pursuit of fresh simplicity, however, I think an old standby is in order. Salmon and dill were made for each other. Salmon is an undeniably oily fish; it's buttery and delicate, the perfect base for dill's bright, clean herbaceous flavor to play against.

Herbaceously amazing

Cool As (Blueberry Tzatziki Salad)

The season dovetails nicely in that the finest of summer's greens, cucumbers, berries, and peaches become fresh and locally available just in time for the last few barbecues before labor day. Steaks and ribs tend to take center stage at such gatherings, but a clever assembly of bountiful produce can still manage to be a showstopper. The heirloom cucumber on our backyard deck has coiled forth in riotous abundance, overshadowing the meek carrots and beets I tried to nestle below, and I've over a dozen cucumbers to contend with. In order to thin the herd, I decided to make a rendition of tzatziki, spiked with darkly sweet blueberries and served as salad.

Also thicker and chunkier than most tzatziki, but I like it that way

Challenge: Accepted (Roasted Acorn Squash and Avocado Salad)

I was browsing some of my favorite food blogs the other week, when something stuck out to me on My Madeleine: a roasted squash salad from Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty. Molly's blog is a great place for top-notch photography (I could spend hours looking at a tabletop alone) and honest-to-goodness recipes, present company being a great example. Plenty is a great book for produce: while Ottolenghi is not a vegetarian, it features only meatless recipes. It likewise offers gorgeous photos.

Taking a stab at it