Heat allows for caramelisation and the deep flavours that come with slow cooking, but when it is too hot to cook, flavour must be built another way: through contrast, texture and a more deliberate use of seasoning. Salt, in particular, becomes transformative: it extracts moisture, softens structure and turns raw ingredients into something more flexible.
This principle underpins a carrot salad inspired by the Japanese yamitsuki method, or "addictive", commonly used with cabbage. A cold cucumber and avocado gazpacho offers clean, refreshing clarity for the hottest days.