We had friends coming over for dinner last night, and I was searching for something that could be served cold. The weather has been hot and humid, and I wanted to avoid warming up the kitchen any further.

It all fell into place. We started with heirloom tomatoes (from the nearby Whole Foods) and avocados that we had on hand. Meda turns those into a wonderful watercress-tomato-avocado salad. Meanwhile, I went shopping and brought home about three pounds of potatoes, and made a large bowl of potato salad based on the recipe my mother taught me. Then we went to Costco and got one of their signature roast chickens. I cut it up, plated it, and left it in the refrigerator until ready to serve. In lieu of french bread, I threw a few mini-naan, also from Costco into the microwave, and served them as we sat down to eat.

It all came together well. It was relatively easy. And it was a good combo for a warm evening.