When there’s a blizzard in the winter and I am forced to be at home, I find delicious comfort in looking out the window and watching the slow, silent snowflakes fall. I can cook and bake while watching an old movie on TCM. I love those days.

Today is the opposite of that. It is too hot and muggy to go out. There’s nothing beautiful falling from the sky, in fact, when I look out the window I see parched lawn and brown clumps of leaves on the trees and there’s a couple of dead-as-doornail bushes out there.

Btw, did you know that the expression dead-as-a doornail came from Shakespeare (Henry VI, part 2)?

It’s too hot to cook, even indoors in the air conditioned house because, as most people know, even air conditioning can do so much.

So there goes dinner and the old movie. 

This is a day for a meal that doesn’t have to be cooked. Like this mixed bean salad. 

To make a vegetarian version of this, leave out the fish/chicken and add any of the following: avocado, olives, cooked macaroni, chopped carrots, cucumber, feta cheese, goat cheese or tomato.

Mixed Bean, Vegetable and Fish/Chicken Salad

• 1 15-ounce can red kidney beans
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans
• 1 15-ounce can black beans
• 1 cup thawed frozen peas
• 1 cup thawed frozen corn
• 1 pound cooked fish or chicken cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Rinse all the beans and drain them. Place the beans in a bowl. Add the peas, corn, fish, onion, garlic, parsley and basil and toss ingredients to distribute them evenly. Pour in the olive oil and toss the ingredients. Pour in the wine vinegar and toss the ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Makes 4-6 servings