There's a slew of slaws to be had, even for dessert

Crisp, cool slaw should be the official side dish of summer. Bright and refreshing, it's the dish to turn to as the weather turns hot. Made with just a few ingredients, slaws are straightforward and simple. And they're fast and easy to assemble - no cooking required.

When you think slaw you might think cabbage, or maybe you've even gone so far as to try slaws made from broccoli or carrots. But there's a wide world of slaw possibilities out there, particularly in summer, when so much produce is at its prime.

And even though the options might sound endless, slaws are essentially simple things: Take a main ingredient, cut into shreds, dress it lightly with something tangy, and finish it with the little touches that add color and crunch.

Start building your slaw by looking for a crisp central player - a slaw is defined by its "crunch" factor. Summer is loaded with options, including squash, root vegetables, even fruit. Now cut them into shreds. The easiest way is to use a mandoline; they're widely available, and an inexpensive model should set you back only about $20. Or try a box grater, though the blade isn't as sharp and the shreds won't be as pretty.

Now dress the slaw, but keep it light - you don't want to weigh down your salad with a heavy mayonnaise-based dressing. Instead, use a vinegar- or citrus-based dressing, or even yogurt - the bright tang will complement the slaw's components, highlighting the other flavors, not covering them up.

When you dress can matter almost as much as what you dress with. Many slaws can be made a few hours, up to a day, in advance, giving the flavors time to develop. Some slaws actually benefit from a little advance preparation; this gives the vegetables time to slightly "pickle" and allows the flavors to develop more fully - try this with tougher vegetables and roots.

Other slaws work best assembled just before serving: If you're using fruit, you can shred it a few hours in advance, but you should dress it at the last minute to keep it from going soggy.

So now that you know how slaws are built, what are you going to make?

Zucchini are great cooked, but they can be just as wonderful raw - light and crisp with delicate flavor. Shred a couple of pounds of zucchini. Dress it with a light sherry vinaigrette - it's a bright vinegar with a lighter flavor that won't overpower the zucchini. Add some diced tomato; not only is the color vivid, but the soft tomato really emphasizes the crispness of the zucchini. And it's perfect served simply, with a sprinkling of toasted pine nuts and fresh-shaved Parmigiano.

Or try crisp peppers. Use a more assertive dressing for this because bell peppers are so sweet. Earthy cumin and smoky chipotle pepper deepen the flavors. Finish the slaw with bright sweet corn kernels and chopped cilantro for a Southwestern feel.

Because daikon is bland, the choices of dressing and garnish are even more important. Combine the shredded radish with thinly sliced red onion and diced snow peas. Dress it with a rich but tangy sesame oil and rice vinegar dressing. Finish it with a sprinkling of black sesame seeds; the seeds' matte black finish is beautiful against the glossy white sheen of the dressed radish. Try tossing in some crunchy toasted peanuts, or even spicy wasabi peas.

It may sound unusual at first, but the right fruit can make a wonderful slaw, particularly in the summer. Melons are a perfect example. When they're ripe, cantaloupes are rich and sweet and meltingly soft; slightly underripe, cantaloupes are more delicately flavored with firmer flesh - perfect for slaw.

Base the dressing for this slaw on yogurt, a tangy and more refreshing alternative to mayonnaise, which would only flatten the flavor. Season the dressing with a dash of curry powder. It takes only a very small amount to emphasize the savory aspects of the flavor.

Or leave out the curry powder and throw in some fresh berries to make a colorful sweet slaw that's perfect as a dessert.

Slaw for dessert? It really must be summer.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

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31/2 pounds daikon radish, about 1 large

1 red onion, sliced length-wise into 1/8-inch strips

2 pounds snow peas, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sesame oil, or to taste

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, or to taste

2 teaspoons sugar, or to taste

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

2 tablespoons black sesame seeds

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1. Trim and peel the daikon radish, then cut it crosswise into 3-inch pieces. Julienne the pieces, then place the julienned strips into a large bowl, and toss in the onion and snow peas.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Pour half of the dressing over the slaw and toss to coat. Add more dressing as needed, a couple of tablespoons at a time, until the slaw is lightly coated and flavorful; you may not need all of the dressing. This makes about 8 cups slaw.

3. Cover and refrigerate the slaw for at least 1 hour for the flavors to develop. Before serving, toss with the black sesame seeds. The slaw will keep for 1 day, refrigerated.

Per serving (based on 10): 149 calories; 4 grams protein; 14 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams fiber; 9 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 496 milligrams sodium.

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Makes 6 to 8 servings

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2 pounds zucchini (about 6 small or 3 to 4 medium)

4 plum tomatoes, seeded, 1/4-inch dice

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 cup sherry vinegar, or to taste

2 tablespoons best-quality olive oil, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste

8 large basil leaves thinly sliced

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano for garnish

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1. Trim the ends from the zucchini and cut them crosswise into 3-inch pieces. Julienne the pieces down to the core (discard the seeded core); then place the julienned strips into a large bowl.

2. Gently stir in the tomatoes and garlic, then stir in the sherry vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper, tossing to evenly coat. Taste the slaw and adjust the flavor and seasoning as desired, then stir in the basil. The slaw can be made up to this point up to 3 hours in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. This makes about 7 cups slaw.

3. Just before serving, stir in the pine nuts. Serve the slaw with a few shavings of Parmigiano over each portion.

Per serving (based on 8): 112 calories; 3 grams protein; 6 grams carbohydrate; 2 grams fiber; 9 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 159 milligrams sodium.

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Makes 6 to 8 servings

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6 large bell peppers, assorted colors

2 ears corn, shucked

Juice of 2 lemons, or to taste

Zest of 1 lemon

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon agave syrup or honey, or to taste

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon chipotle or New Mexico chile powder, or to taste

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

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1. Core the peppers and cut them into lengthwise strips no thicker than one-eighth inch and about 21/2 inches long. Place the sliced peppers in a large bowl.

2. Slice the kernels off the corn, and toss them with the peppers.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, zest, garlic, olive oil, agave syrup, salt, and chipotle powder to form a dressing. Taste and adjust to taste.

4. Pour the dressing over the peppers and toss well to coat completely. Stir in the cilantro and toss until evenly combined. This makes about 6 cups slaw.

5. Cover and refrigerate the pepper slaw at least 1 hour before serving. The slaw will keep for up to 2 days, refrigerated.

Per servings (based on 8): 117 calories; 2 grams protein; 14 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 302 milligrams sodium.

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