Delicious, home-cooked meals can still be on the menu even in a wonky vacation rental

By KATIE WORKMAN Associated Press We are officially in the thick of summer If we re lucky we might get a break from the routine and head for the beach the mountains or maybe discover a new city For a large number of that means renting a vacation home with an unfamiliar kitchen At home you presumably have a variety of cooking utensils a meaningful collection of herbs and spices and the ability to select just the right pan for your dish But as you step into your Airbnb or Vrbo you re suddenly left wondering where to even put your groceries Related Articles Giant trolls have a message for humans about protecting the planet Making Rocky Mountain National Park more accessible for visitors with disabilities These recipes were made for summer travels Voyage Experience Kauai s magical mystical North Shore Everything is bigger at San Diego Comic-Con this year Except Hollywood There s a weird pleasure at least for nerds like me in pulling together a meal in a sparse funky rental-house kitchen It s like a reality cooking show challenge Can you make an omelet in a saucepan Perhaps you don t have fresh oregano maybe those parsley stems will work Can you stretch that small bottle of olive oil through the last two days of your trip I ll call that conundrum and I ll raise you a half a jar of gherkins During rental home vacations it s kind of fun to be untethered from the normal cooking routine Believe you me I m racing out for fried clams at the local seafood joint as plenty of nights as my budget and waistband allow But for the meals I m cooking I m relinquishing notions of perfection in favor of scrappiness Picked up a whole lot of cherry tomatoes at a farmstand You re making cherry tomato antipasti salad with specific canned artichoke hearts olives onions and a quick vinaigrette Maybe throw in various cubed provolone or diced salami Peaches getting a bit too soft Time for a smoothie There s something liberating and a little bit ridiculous about cooking in a vacation rental kitchen Bring particular essentials of your own Before you go consider packing a minimalist kitchen survival kit It doesn t have to be much A sharp knife a cutting board salt and pepper and whatever pantry staples you know you ll need to get started For me I might pack olive oil vinegar lemons Dijon mustard and a couple of my favorite herbs and spices I also invariably bring zipper-top bags and chosen small containers for leftovers or taking food on the go Use the rental s features and lack thereof to your advantage Think about dishes that can stretch ingredients and about welcome substitutions A big grain salad made with rice quinoa or couscous is endlessly customizable and can be served cold or at room temperature think lakeside lunch or a backyard meal A recipe for cherry tomato antipasti salad is displayed in New York Cheyenne Cohen via AP I would also start with things that don t require an oven you never know if it heats unevenly or at all it might be a glorified bread box A stovetop pasta tossed with sauteed garlic and olive oil is constantly a win Add red pepper flakes and grated Parmesan if you have it Grills are often available and can be a vacation cook s best friend as long as you ve got an ample supply of the right fuel for it Grill up totally seasoned chicken breasts or New York Strip steaks for dinner and very intentionally make extra those leftovers will be perfect sliced and used for sandwiches quesadillas salads or wraps Extra grilled corn might become a corn soup or chowder a corn salad or something to add to a stir-fry Think about brushing particular slices of country bread with olive oil sprinkling with flaky salt and toasting them lightly on the grill Top with fresh sliced or chopped tomatoes with particular basil or turn them into whatever type of bruschetta you can whip up from your farmstand haul Think caponata sauteed chard or maybe a heap of sliced grilled peppers with a few fresh goat cheese Bread meant for bruschetta is toasted on a grill in New Milford Conn on May Cheyenne Cohen via AP Salads are inevitably on the docket Again easy to improvise with farmers area ingredients But this is your vacation and you should feel free to play Try a melon and cucumber salad with a bit of feta and a squeeze of lime juice or a chopped vegetable salad bolstered with protein-packed chickpeas Think creatively and accept imperfection As you come to the end of your trip and you need to use things up get creative That half jar of pickles will add a briny punch to a potato salad That nub of leftover cheese and that last bunch of spinach will be great chopped up and added to scrambled eggs or a frittata Cook what feels manageable what makes use of local ingredients and what gives you more time outside with your people Yes you might be chopping vegetables with a serrated steak knife Yes there might be a little sand in the pasta salad as you serve it up on the beach That s OK Chosen of the best vacation meals come from embracing the fact that you re cooking without your usual tools and supplies That s half the fun I once made a great dinner from fresh scallops a box of pasta olive oil and a jug of margarita mix That was years ago and we all still remember it Peach and plum yogurt smoothie Peach and plum smoothies are displayed in New York on Aug Katie Workman via AP For their versatility and simplicity smoothies can make for a vacation staple This is your smoothie template Swap around fruits yogurt flavors sweeteners and see if you can find a NutriBullet in the back of the cabinet Also if you plan ahead you might freeze your fruit for a thicker smoothie or just add particular ice If you ve got specific fresh mint toss that in too Ingredients cup ounces vanilla Greek yogurt cup ounces peach yogurt tablespoon honey or agave or to taste cups cubed peeled peaches cups cubed peeled plums Instructions Place the vanilla yogurt peach yogurt honey peaches and plums in a blender Blend well Pour into glasses and serve