Perfect produce is the cornerstone of summer cooking, as suggested by the delicious recipes in my book "The Taste of Summer" (Bantam, $19.95). It's enjoyable to create wonderful dishes with the inspiration of the season's extraordinary bounty. Plus, summer cooking fits into the Seriously Simple lifestyle so easily.

Many of summer's best dishes require little or no cooking: Cooling vegetable and fruit soups, arranged platters of cheeses and vegetables, and of course amazing fruit salads are just a few examples of easy dishes that celebrate the season's colorful culinary treasures.

The same goes for this "summer in a bowl" salad. It features sweet peaches, heirloom tomatoes and crisp cucumbers. The simple act of grilling the peaches adds a slightly smoky flavor.

Make sure to look for ripe peaches and tomatoes. You can use beefsteak tomatoes as well, but I really like the texture and myriad colors of heirloom tomatoes for this dish. Also, Persian cucumbers are smaller and work nicely for this salad.

Chopped fresh herbs and creamy burrata cheese finish off this salad into a glorious ode to summer's best fruit and vegetables. You can either cut up the burrata and carefully fold it into the salad or slice and place it on top of the salad. If you can't find burrata you can use fresh mozzarella instead.

I like to serve this for lunch with some crispy French bread. You could also serve this dish on a buffet with other salads for a festive and colorful addition. I hope you'll try this recipe in the next few weeks while all of this produce is still available!

Grilled Peaches, Heirloom Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Burrata Salad

Serves 4 to 6

3 large ripe peaches, pitted and halved

3 heirloom tomatoes, (3 different colors)

4 Persian cucumbers

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1 tablespoon finely chopped basil

1 tablespoon finely chopped mint

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup favorite vinaigrette

2 large balls burrata

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, mint or basil (for garnish)

1. Brush oil on the grill. Heat a barbecue for medium-high heat grilling. Brush oil on the cut side of peaches, and grill for about 4 to 6 minutes or until grill marks appear on the cut-side of the peaches. Remove from grill. Cut the peaches in 1/2-inch slices, and then cut the slices into bite-size pieces. Place in a large salad bowl.

2. Core the tomatoes, and then cut them in half. Cut the tomatoes into 1-inch slices and then cut the slices into bit-size pieces. Add to the bowl with the peaches.

3. Cut the cucumbers into 1-inch slices and then into bite-size pieces. Add to the bowl.

4. Add the herbs, salt and vinaigrette, and gently mix to combine. Taste for seasoning.

5. Slice the burrata into 1-inch slices, and then cut into bite-size pieces. Very carefully add to the salad and mix to combine. You can also slice the burrata and place on top of the salad. Garnish with herbs. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

(Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks, including "Seriously Simple Parties," and a James Beard Award-winning radio show host. You can contact her at www.seriouslysimple.com.)