D.B.
Given all the fresh produce in the summer season, why not do some veggie kabobs? Cut up any of the following: zucchini, yellow summer squash (1 inch disks for both of those), patty pan squash (cut in half or quarters depending on size), onions (cut in wedges and remove the tiniest inner layers for another use - otherwise they fall in the grill), small potatoes or chunks of larger potatoes (red, white, etc.), peppers (any color cut in 1.5" squares), large mushrooms, etc. Instead of alternating them, thread them according to cooking time. Potatoes and squash take longer, peppers and onions a little less, and mushrooms the least. When you take them off the skewers, just put them all in one serving pan and mix them up. I use olive oil and whatever herbs I have on hand - dill goes well with a lot of things, plus salt & pepper. Brush the skewers and grill until done (you can find cooking times on line at a million recipe sites - depends on gas vs. charcoal grill). These can be kept warm in a low oven or over a can of Sterno while you do the meat.
Other things you can grill are broccoli florets (larger ones don't fall through the grate), beets, beans or asparagus, or corn on the cob. Do beets and corn in foil with some butter, salt & pepper. Do beans and asparagus on a grill pan with smaller holes so they don't fall through, or do them carefully on the open grill. Again, these can be done ahead of time and as soon as they are off you can do the meat. Wood skewers should be soaked in water first so they don't catch fire; metal skewers help food cook faster because the heat goes thru the metal and cooks the veggies from the inside out while then flame cooks from outside in. Whatever you do (skewers or foil packets), rotate every 5 minutes.
You can do chicken kabobs too or just chicken tenders - they cook just about as quickly. I brush them with olive oil and Italian seasoning, but you can use dill too, or a mix of summer herbs like parsley and thyme. Use kabobs if you want the pieces to be bite size and not have people using knives to cut them. Half the salad dressings out there say you can use them as a grill marinade, so you can find plenty of flavors. You can also do half the chicken with herbs and the rest with BBQ sauce or some kind of hot sauce.
For a non-mayo side salad, buy a bag of broccoli slaw in the supermarket and follow the recipe that's probably on the back of the bag. Or, just add a package of ramen noodles (no spice package) or plain spaghetti, broken up and cooked, some craisins or raisins or both, some almonds and some olive oil and vinegar (cider or wine, your choice). It's tangy and it doesn't get wilted, and it's a lot easier to eat than big pieces of lettuce.
You can also make a chickpea salad, adding canned/rinsed chickpeas to bulgur wheat (found in market near rice and dried beans, and follow directions on bag). You can add some frozen veggies such as peas and corn, or other beans (kidney, etc.). Toss with a little olive oil and lemon juice.
This is a great protein-filled salad for those who don't eat meat.
Again, this keeps in hot weather. You can also keep salads cool by putting the bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice. We also use those foil pans and chafing dishes with sterno for the hot foods and ice for the cold foods. One large rectangular pan holds ice, and the 2 smaller pans hold the food on top.
