It’s rained here almost every day for the past month, which is totally atypical for this time of year.  Logistically, it means that I watch the forecast every day like a broker studying a ticker tape, trying to gauge what summer activities we’ll be able to do.  Even still, it’s always a crapshoot: looking outside at a clear blue, sunny day, we’ll pack up the kids and travel less than 2 miles, only to discover torrential downpour in another part of town.

We were having just one of those days a few weekends ago when we went by our friends Jess and Ben’s house to have a pool day with them and their little one.   On our way over to their house, we did a little rain dance and hoped for sunny weather.   The rain held off just long enough for us to have a little pool time and for us to enjoy a picnic by the pool, including a delicious peach, mozzarella and basil salad Jess made from Real Simple.  The Gravy Baby isn’t crazy about eating raw leafy greens, and so this salad was a perfect palate pleaser for all of us — fresh and healthy for the hubby and me, but flavorful and varied enough to hold the Gravy Baby’s attention.

The other night I made this peach, mozzarella and basil salad again, taking advantage of the bushels of basil we’ve grown as a result of the heavy rains.  I added ribbons of zucchini cut with a vegetable peeler to mine, and the family loved the “zucchini noodles” that added crunch and freshness to the salad.