It’s summer here in the northern hemisphere and hot, hot, hot! 108° here today, as I write this, so you can imagine that the last thing on my mind would be cooking something hot. Although, some people seem to think drinking hot tea and such will cool you down… but they are probably also the sort that will say… "But at least it’s a dry heat".

I just love that, as I crank up the AC and hope we don’t have any blackouts.

So, our recipe today is no muss, no fuss, and no cooking. You can serve it as a side dish, with a pita sandwich or something, or just serve it on it’s own, for a light tasty meal. Make it ahead of time so that it has time to chill, and the flavors can combine before you serve.

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained


• 2 (15 ounce) cans whole kernel corn, drained


• 8 green onions, chopped


• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced


• 1 green bell pepper, chopped


• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced


• 1 (4 ounce) jar pimentos


• 3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped


• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro


• 1 lime, juiced


• 1/2 cup Italian salad dressing


• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, combine the black beans, corn, green onions, jalapeno peppers, bell pepper, avocado, pimentos, tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, and Italian dressing. Season with garlic salt. Toss, and chill until serving.