Here in NYC, we’ve barely escaped winter’s grasp only to be stifled by summer’s heat and humidity. Yesterday it was just too hot to cook, and I searched for an easy dinner plan that wouldn’t overheat my kitchen – or me.

I pulled out a recipe I’ve made before, a simple one from the New York Times that is light on effort yet big on flavor. Best of all, I didn’t break a sweat doing it! If you’ve got a few cans of chickpeas, a tub of yogurt, and a mix of fresh herbs at hand, you’re halfway there. I added thinly sliced red onion and half a red apple, diced, as well as a little honey to the dressing. It’s vegetarian as written, but you could easily make it vegan with a few substitutions. Here’s a link to the recipe.

Minimal prep time, just mix everything into a large bowl and let it chill in the fridge. Serve atop fresh arugula drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil.

Pair It With . . .

2024 Two Shepherds Vermentino and Wickson Apple Co-Ferment (9.5% abv; $32 but on sale now for $21)

This lovely bottle of bubbles was part of my wine club shipment a few months back. I was delighted to come across it yesterday as I searched for a nice, refreshing sip to enjoy with the chickpea salad.

Just 50 cases of this wine were produced and, according to the winery, this will be the last vintage. ☹ My advice? Head to the website and order a few bottles ASAP! (Just leave a couple for me, please.)

It is an unusual blend of Vermentino grapes fermented with Wickson Apples grown at the Tilted Shed Ciderworks. The wine was aged in neutral barrels for 11 months and is as light and fresh as a sunny spring day. Ingredients were organically farmed and hand-harvested, with fermentation carried out by native yeast. Minimal sulfur, no fining, no filtering – just the good stuff!

Bright gold in the glass with enticing aromas of apple and pear, hay, lemon peel, and honeysuckle. It tastes of fresh apples with a hint of earth – my exact notes were “this tastes like apple cider with a buzz.” Its light body and lively, tart-sweet flavors were the perfect antidote to an August day in April.

Super-delicious, super-easy, and no cooking required. I’ll have this combo in constant rotation this summer.