Keep it fresh! Good salads are only made with good ingredients and freshness is all-important when it comes to purchasing salad greens. Let your eyes guide you. Fresh greens look fresh. They won't have any leaves tinged with brown nor will they be wilted or slimy. Take a look around the produce section and you'll see leaves in many colors and textures ranging from pearly, pale Belgian endive to bright red and white radicchio. Greens also have a variety of flavors from robust and peppery arugula to sweet, nutty and mild lamb's lettuce or mache.

Summer is a great time to entertain. The days are longer. The weather is warmer. Okay, who am I kidding? This is Beaufort. The weather is straight up hot. Anyway, the summer is still a good time to have friends over for cool cocktails and spicy Tex-Mex fare. This week's menu features easy, make-ahead recipes that are great for serving buffet-style. Thank you, John Wollwerth, for the beautiful food photography. If you missed the last edition of Lowcountry Weekly, you can read A Taste of Mexico -€“ Part I here.