Perfect salads with homemade dressings ideal for summer dinners

Salad season, that delightful confluence of hot weather and perfect ripeness, is upon us with many salad choices we dream about during winter.

Act quickly to reserve a spot or risk being shut out of a hands-on dinner salad class at 6 p.m. June 21 at the Loretta Paganini School of Cooking, 8613 Mayfield Road, Chester Township.

This menu of salads is ideal for enjoying at home or worthy of starring at an outdoor concert on the lawn. Learn to create — and then eat — a spinach pomegranate, feta and toasted walnut salad with a grilled steak; arugula, candied pecans and pear with grilled chicken; zucchini, chickpeas, feta, Kalamata olives and tomatoes with grilled salmon; zesty quinoa, black beans, avocado and red pepper; and orzo mint, wild rice, currants and almonds.

Dressings include balsamic vinaigrette, Dijon vinaigrette and cilantro lemon herb;Roquefort and a Greek yogurt dressing.

The 2.5-hour class is $65 and available by reservation at 440-729-1110 or lpsc.com.

Dinner deal

The Dog Days of Summer Dinner for two is available for $50 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at Molinari’s, 8900 Mentor Ave., Mentor.

Diners get a choice between two salads, a brown sugar-cured half chicken or half slab of barbecued baby back ribs and a bottle of house wine. Steak frites come with both dinners.

Make reservations at 440-974-2750 or molinaris.com.

Try a CSA

Get the experience of a membership in the Geauga Family Farmers Community Supported Agriculture program without the commitment in a handson class at 6 p.m. June 22 at the Loretta Paganini School of Cooking, 8613 Mayfield Road, Chester Township.

Learn to clean, cut and store the week’s vegetables, then take them home to eat. Meanwhile, learn and feast on recipes made from the week’s take.

The three-hour class is $45 for Geauga Farms CSA members and $65 for others. Register: 440-729-1110; lpscinc.com.

Festival foods

Sample the foods available at summer’s favorite Northeast Ohio festivals in a hands-on class at 6 p.m. June 28 with chef William Davis at the Loretta Paganini School of Cooking, 8613 Mayfield Road, Chester Township.

Classic examples of foods at the Strawberry Festival, Rib Burnoff, MacN-Cheese Festival, Garlic Festival and Feast of the Assumption will include hickory-smoked ribs with veggie slaw; six-cheese and bacon mac; 40 cloves of garlic chicken; cavatelli and meatballs; and strawberry shortcake with ice cream.

It’s a 2.5-hour class and is $65. Register at 440-7291110; lpscinc.com.

Learn to make jams

Abundant fruits now reaching ripeness make this a perfect time for a Jams and Jellies class with Judi Strauss at the Wildwood Cultural Center, 7645 Little Mountain Road, Mentor.

Set for 7 p.m. June 26, the class will teach the basics of jams, jellies, conserves and marmalades, with food to sample in class and a jar of preserves to take home.

The two-hour class takes place in the Wildwood kitchen at 7645 Little Mountain Road. It’s $17 but Mentor residents get a $3 discount. A $9 food fee is payable on class night.

Reservations: 440-9745720.