Outdoor entertaining, whether you’re hosting a summer cookout or a fall brunch, should focus on celebrating good times with family and friends—not worrying about what to serve.

You can prepare cold appetizers, salads and side dishes in advance. They’re an easy way to add flavor without turning up the oven’s heat.

Here are some outdoor entertaining tips to make guests happy and your life easier:

1. Go Organic. Use fresh, seasonal, organic ingredients. Your guests will appreciate big flavors that won’t weigh them down.
2. Gather Round. Set up a chips-and-salsa bar. It’s a great way for guests to mix and mingle. Try yesterday’s recipe for Black Bean and Corn Scoops, an alternative to traditional salsa. Guests will also enjoy Tomatillo Salsa, Granny Smith Guacamole, Charred Red Onion Salsa and Fiery Fruit Salsa.
3. Bowl Them Over. Add a festive touch with brightly colored serving bowls and plates.
4. Made in the Shade. Some guests are sensitive to heat and sunlight. Make sure an indoor room is available for cooling off. If you have a large gathering, consider renting a tent or setting up chairs and tables under a shady tree.
5. Keep It Cool. Chill empty plates and glasses before giving them to your guests. This will help keep foods and beverages cold.

Tips courtesy of Tostitos

Tomatoes usually come to mind when you think of salsa, but the word actually means “sauce” in Spanish.

In the past, we’ve featured traditional salsa recipes, as well as inventive takes on the classic tortilla topper:

• Tomato Salsa
• Tomatillo Salsa
• Fiery Fruit Salsa
• Charred Red Onion Salsa
• Mango and Black-Eyed Pea Salsa
• Mushroom Salsa with Cilantro
• Baja Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa

Our weekend recipe showcases bold Latin flavors, with a salsa that combines Spanish stuffed olives and chopped apples.

All of the ingredients should be available at your local natural and organic food store.

Green Olive Salsa

1/2 cup chopped Spanish stuffed olives
2/3 cup chopped apples, such as Gala, McIntosh or Granny Smith
2 teaspoons lemon zest
3 teaspoons minced shallot
2 tablespoons chopped roasted red peppers
2 tablespoons chopped yellow peppers
1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

In large bowl, mix all ingredients. Serve with chips or over grilled salmon, chicken or pork.

Recipe courtesy of Lindsay Olives and Diamond Kosher Salt

A homemade gourmet salad dressing with only five ingredients?

Consider it done.

Prepared green salsa (salsa verde) kicks up the flavor of this delicious vinaigrette, which is perfect for a backyard barbecue or summer party.

Prep time is only 5 minutes, which means you can relax and enjoy your get-together, without sacrificing flavor.

All of the ingredients should be readily available at your local natural and organic food store.

Salsa Verde Vinaigrette

Makes 1 cup

1¼ cups salsa verde
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Mixed salad greens
Other fresh vegetables of your choice (cucumber, tomato, green onion, etc.)

Beat salsa, oil, vinegar and black pepper with fork, or whisk in medium bowl. Pour over salad greens, tossing lightly until coated.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Pace Foods

All of the ingredients should be available at your local natural and organic food store.

Mango and Black-Eyed Pea Salsa

Makes about 4 cups

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 15½ -ounce cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 2 mangoes, diced
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 3 green onions, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Combine oil, vinegar, lime juice, cumin and garlic powder in medium bowl.
2. Add black-eyed peas, mangoes, tomatoes and green onion; toss gently to coat.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Refrigerate 4 hours and serve with tortilla chips.

Book Pick of the Day: The Bean Bible: A Legumaniac’s Guide to Lentils, Peas, and Every Edible Bean on the Planet!

Recipe courtesy of Cook’s Ham

With this recipe, you’re only 15 minutes away from a flavorful salsa that offers equal amounts of vibrant color and versatility. Canned organic tomatoes add a rich smoky flavor.

Fiery Fruit Salsa

Makes 6 servings (1/3 cup each)

1 can (14.5 oz.) Muir Glen organic fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 ripe medium mango, peeled and diced (3/4 cup)
1/4 cup sliced green onions (4 medium)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon finely chopped chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)

1. Place drained tomatoes in food processor. Cover and process until coarsely chopped. Place in medium bowl.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients.
3. Serve with meat or fish, or with tortilla chips as desired.

Note: Because you follow an organic lifestyle, OrganicAuthority.com recommends using certified organic ingredients, when available, in all recipes to maximize flavor and nutrition, while minimizing your risk of exposure to pesticides, chemicals and preservatives.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Muir Glen Tomatoes

You’re seated at your favorite organic Mexican restaurant and spot a wonderfully fragrant bowl of organic salsa on the table. Yummy!

But don’t be too quick to dip your chips, cautions gastroenterologist Cynthia Yoshida, MD, in a recent issue of Good Housekeeping. The salsa may have been left out for several hours, warns the director of the University of Virginia Health System’s GI clinic and author of No More Digestive Problems : A Leading Gastroenterologist Provides the Answers Every Woman Needs—Real Solutions to Stop the Pain and Achieve Lasting Digestive Health.

Ask your waiter for a fresh bowl, and make sure it’s properly cold—straight from the refrigerator—when it arrives at your table. You’ll avoid diarrhea and a possible bout of food poisoning.

Exotic Mushroom Basket from Diamond Organics

Mushrooms have become an increasingly popular ingredient in Mexican cuisine. Hispanic-Americans generally favor two varieties: “white mushrooms” (most likely button mushrooms) and portabellas, according to a report commissioned by the Dublin, California-based Mushroom Council.

It’s no surprise, then, that Ruth Bass, author of “Mushrooms Love Herbs,” chose to use portabellas in her unique recipe for Mushroom Salsa with Cilantro. Often spelled “portobellos,” they have a hearty taste and meaty texture, which is one of the reasons they’re replacing beef patties in burgers at many restaurants.

You should have no trouble finding organic portabellas at your local natural or whole foods store. Click here to find a farmer’s market in your area. You may also want to treat yourself or a loved one this holiday season to the 2-lb. Organic Exotic Mushroom Basket from Diamond Organics, which includes portabellas.

Bass’s salsa recipe combines portabellas and tomatoes for a new twist on the classic recipe.

“Salsa is everywhere,” she notes. “Sometimes it’s fiery hot, sometimes it’s mild, and it nearly always includes tomatoes. For a new taste sensation, try it with mushrooms, parsley and cilantro.”

Mushroom Salsa with Cilantro

Makes about 2 cups

1 large (4- to 5-inch diameter) portabella mushroom
2 ripe tomatoes
4 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 small onion, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, cored, seeded and minced

1. Remove the stem from the mushroom, then clean and chop the cap.
2. Dice the tomatoes and combine in a medium-sized bowl with the mushroom. Stir in the parsley, cilantro, lime and lemon juices, onion and jalapeño pepper.
3. Let stand at room temperature for at least an hour so that the flavors will blend. Stir well and serve with tortilla chips.

Interestingly, one of the main debates among professional and amateur chefs is how to clean mushrooms. Should you go over them with a dry mushroom brush, or should you wash them in water?

“Cleaniks can’t face cooking a mushroom that hasn’t been washed, so they get them all wet and then have to towel them off,” writes Bass. “Purists say you never wash a mushroom; you just brush it with a mushroom brush.”

Luckily, there’s a compromise, she tells Organic Authority: “Simply wipe them with a dampened paper towel.”

See Amazing Organic Herbal Salads in our just-published Winter Edition for more recipes from Bass.

Note: This recipe is featured in “Mushrooms Love Herbs.” Copyright © 1996 by Storey Communications, Inc. Reprinted with permission from Storey Publishing.