Make it simple, keep it cold — it’s hot out there!

Nothing like a cold, homegrown, tomato between two slices of white bread coated with mayonnaise to let you know summer has completely arrived. Non-tomato eaters may not agree, but for most people raised in the South, the sandwich rarely makes it past the counter or sink where the juicy seeds can freely drop without messing up the front of a T-shirt.

The subject of tomatoes came after receiving a picture from John Olivier, whose 4-inch tomatoes left an indelible vision of the dripping tomato sandwich. My guess is, he’ll be canning for future use in his award winning recipes.

Is your mouth watering yet? Keep reading, there’s a lot more summer cooking to consider.

First, this is the only week for bidding on the Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel / The Daily Iberian Cajun-Creole Cookbook Cook-off dinner package. Ten family and friends of the winning bidder will sample dishes from some of the best cooks of the Teche Area. Wine and personal service from the United Way of Iberia board and volunteers make the night a fun excuse for lingering dining.

Bids will be accepted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, Thursday and until 3 p.m. Friday. You can submit a bid by calling The Daily Iberian at 365-6773 and listen for the prompts to dial 0 to reach the receptionist’s desk.

If you’re wondering what the eight categories and dishes will be, here are the finalist.

n APPETIZERS: Spicy Creole Cajun Seafood Popovers, Tamale Bites, Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps and Mini Bell Pepper Poppers with Shrimp

n SOUPS/GUMBOS: South of the Border Soup, Shrimp and New Potato Chowder, Taco Soup and Shrimp with Tasso Vegetable Soup

n SALADS: Frosted Fruit Slices, Special Fruit Salad, Kale Garden Salad and Creamy Cajun Coleslaw

n SEAFOOD ENTREES: Trinity Fettuccine, Shrimp and Crawfish Casserole, Crabmeat Squares and Baked Shrimp with Grits

n RICE / JAMBALAYA: Black Eye Peas Jambalaya, Trinity Jambalaya Mix, My Best Dirty Rice Dressing and Chicken Jambalaya

n MEAT ENTREES: Kickin’ Chickin, Good Old Spaghetti Casserole, Shrimp & Chicken Etouffeé, Libmurekepiras Meatloaf in Pastry

n VEGETABLES: Cheddar Corn Casserole, Cheesy Corn Casserole, Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Bacon and Stuffed Eggplant

n DESSERTS: Banana Pudding, Lemon Ice Box Pie, Old-Fashioned Sweet Tart ala Bouillie and Original Coconut-Pineapple Cheesecake Pie

The United Way team made the selections by reviewing a group of recipes selected by The Daily Iberian. After ranking them 1 through 10, the winners were contacted. Some of the cooks had more than one in a category, but were only eligible to compete with one recipe. Calls went out and cooks from California and Houma will be joining new and returning cooks from the Teche Area.

There are five First Timers in the bunch who will also compete for a second award outside of their food category. The First Timer award is as much fun to win as the category.

So make your calls to bid, and be sure to check back to make sure you still have the top bid before Friday’s deadline.

Now, as for summer eating, keep it light and cool. Barbecuing and seafood boils are great for the weekends when everyone is playing at the pool, near the water or other outdoor activities. Save energy and build nutrition by serving interesting and innovative salads.

The Iberia Parish Library Cookbook Club featured “Salads: Beyond the Bowl,” at its June meeting. The Mindy Fox collection of salads are an amazing, subtitled “extraordinary recipes for everyday eating.”

Jane Bearb and Vicky Branton scouted out the club meeting, and even missing them, found the book to be highly enlightening. Check out a copy at the library or get one for yourself. There are many to try, like today’s recipe selections.