Salads and summer go great together because you want to enjoy something light and refreshing when the temperatures rise. This cucumber, peach, and basil salad is both cool and crunchy, making it an excellent dish for hot weather. The simple set of ingredients play off each other in complementing ways, highlighting herbaceous, sweet, and vibrant flavor profiles.

When it comes to cutting up stone fruit, you first cut the fruit in half, slicing all the way around the pit. Hold each half of the cut fruit and twist in opposite directions. If the peach is ripe, it should separate with ease. If not, you may have to cut around the pit or use your hands to pull the halves apart. Once you remove the pit, place the inside of the halves down on a cutting board and thinly slice each half the same way you would cut an onion. You can also cube the peach if you prefer bigger chunks.

For the cucumber, you should choose English cucumbers because they are almost seedless and have thin skins. English cucumbers in the grocery store are often wrapped in plastic. Should you want a bit more crunch, you can use Persian cucumbers, but you’ll need to use more because they are smaller. The cool crunch of the cucumber is a refreshing complement to the juicy, sweet peach. The great thing about this salad is that you can make it ahead of time, but just keep the dressing separate so that it doesn’t make the peaches and cucumbers soggy.