Ah, summer — sizzling brats and hearty steaks and burgers on the grill.

And on the side: rich potato salad, beans studded with bacon and — well, adjust your belt. Prepare to nap.

Or, you could lighten up — especially considering those traditionally heavier main dishes are likely to stay on the menu.

It shouldn’t be too difficult to keep things light at the summer picnic table. Farmers markets are lush with heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and lots of other things that are not a potato and can be tossed with something other than mayo.

Here’s a road map for going light on the side.

LIGHTEN UP

Sarah Carey gets it — that fondness for potato salads and such.

“I think that people have a comfort level with classic things,” says Carey, editor-in-chief of Everyday Food magazine and host of the online video series “Everyday Food with Sarah Carey.”

There are some tried-and-true ways to lighten up those beloved dishes, she says.

You can cut some of the full-fat mayonnaise and replace it with yogurt or low-fat buttermilk, or dress salads lightly with vinaigrettes. These and other tips can be found in the new cookbook, “Everyday Food: Light” from the Kitchens of Martha Stewart.

But that’s just the beginning of Carey’s arsenal.

When you take out fat, you need to “amp up” the flavor, she says.

“Fat is a flavor conductor in many ways,” says Carey. “Fat holds flavors really well.”

Key ingredients in her toolbox:

Citrus zest: “Lemon zest is something we use a lot. Anything that makes your mouth a little more excited makes you forget there isn’t as much fat.”

Herbs and spices: Use them in unexpected ways. For instance, use cilantro instead of the classic basil with tomatoes. “It’s nice to mix it up and change the expectations maybe,” she says.

Grainy and Dijon mustards: They add some bite and tanginess.

Choose the right cheese: Use feta or Parmesan rather than milder cheeses such as mozzarella. You can use less of it. “We’re always looking for more bang for your buck,” says Carey.

FLAVORS, TEXTURE

For Wisconsin food writer Terese Allen, it’s about assertive flavors and texture.

“I love to make what I call ‘chop and go’ salads,” says Allen, whose new book is “The Flavor of Wisconsin for Kids” (Wisconsin Historical Society Press, 2012). These quick salads are mixtures of “assertively dressed, finely diced raw veggies,” she says.

“They’re salads you can really sink your teeth into, so to speak, because they have a lot of crunch and vigor,” Allen adds. “They go with most barbecue foods, and they’re absurdly easy to make.”

When choosing what goes into her salad bowl, she goes for “really decisive ingredients.”

Some of her standards: “Crisp broccoli, sweet onions, licorice-y fennel, stinky cheese, chewy dried cherries — all from the farmers market, of course.”

She thinks a fine chop is key. “To make the salad look integrated, and to give it good ‘mouth feel,’ I chop the ingredients into very small, evenly cut pieces — no chunks!”

Rick Boyer, the new executive chef at the American Club in Kohler, Wis., is revamping the menu there to offer a lighter, more plant-based “farm-to-fork” lineup.

He suggests folding vegetables into potato salads and using a vinaigrette or even a fat-free vinaigrette. “Broccoli is great in summer salads,” he says. “You can always do a coleslaw that’s vinegar-based instead of mayonnaise-based.”

Boyer eats that way at home, too. Among his summer favorites: grilled watermelon salad.

He and his wife grill slices of seedless watermelon, lightly oiled, for about a minute on each side over medium-high heat. “It’s warm on the outside, and cool and crisp on the inside,” Boyer says.

They serve it, sliced or chopped, with arugula, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and feta or goat cheese.

“Grilled watermelon and goat cheese is unbelievable,” he says.

He and his wife also like to make a grilled romaine salad. “Get those outer leaves nice and smoky,” he advises. “Romaine is hearty and crisp, so it really grills up nice.”

Allen loves what she calls “herb-blasted veggies” — barely cooked vegetables soaked briefly while still warm in chopped fresh herbs, vinegar or citrus, and olive oil.

“They can be served warm or cool, and come in endless international variations (think South American chimichurri or a Southeast Asian combo of mint, basil and cilantro),” she says. “The one I use the most is chermoula, the Moroccan sauce that combines chopped parsley and cilantro with garlic, lemon and spices like cumin and paprika (see recipe). I brush it on grilled asparagus, zucchini, onions. I toss it with chopped tomatoes or steamed green beans. … My very favorite way to use it is on chunks of barely tender carrots.”

Carey’s favorite summer side dish is something simple, requiring no recipe. It’s a chopped salad of tomatoes, peaches and corn (raw or lightly cooked in boiling water), tossed with a bit of olive oil, salt, vinegar and either basil or cilantro.

“I do a variation of that almost every weekend in the summer,” she says. “I just love the juicy freshness of the tomatoes and peaches.”

Carey’s best advice:

“Go to your farmers market and find what looks most delicious and fresh. That’s what’s going to inspire you.”

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FRESH VEGETABLES, FRUITS CAN BALANCE OUT BRATS AND BURGERS

It shouldn’t be too difficult to keep things light at the summer picnic table. Farmers markets are lush with heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and lots of other things that are not a potato and can be tossed with something other than mayo.

This recipe by the Neelys of the Food Network appeared in the network’s magazine. To lighten it up, use low-fat buttermilk and light sour cream.

CHERRY TOMATO SALAD WITH BUTTERMILK-BASIL

Dressing

Makes 4 servings

6 cups red and yellow cherry tomatoes, cut in half if large

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2/3 cup buttermilk

¼ cup sour cream

3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

1 shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Put the cherry tomatoes in a large serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss.

In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, sour cream, basil, shallot and garlic. Season with pepper. Drizzle dressing over tomatoes and toss.

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This summer dish is from “Everyday Food: Light,” the third in a series of Everyday Food books from Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.

DILLED CUCUMBER SALAD

Makes 4 servings

2 English cucumbers

2 teaspoons coarse salt

1/3 cup plain, low-fat yogurt

¼ cup loosely packed fresh dill, finely chopped, plus dill sprigs for garnish (optional)

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out and discard seeds.

Cut cucumbers crosswise into 1/8-inch slices.

Place cucumber slices in a colander set over a bowl and toss with the salt. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine yogurt, chopped dill, vinegar and pepper in a medium bowl.

Remove the cucumbers from the colander and pat dry with paper towels. Add to bowl with yogurt dressing and toss to combine. Garnish with dill sprigs, if desired.

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This salad from the recipe file of Wisconsin food writer Terese Allen is a great example of her belief in assertive flavors and finely chopped produce coming together beautifully.

BROCCOLI AND DRIED CHERRY CHOP-AND-TOSS

Makes 4 to 6 servings

4 cups finely chopped broccoli florets

1/3 to ½ cup dried cherries (or raisins or dried cranberries)

1/3 to ½ cup finely chopped sweet red or yellow pepper (optional)

¼ cup finely chopped red onion

2 to 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/8 teaspoon sugar

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place broccoli, dried cherries, peppers if using, and onion in a large bowl.

Whisk together remaining ingredients, pour over salad ingredients and toss to coat.

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The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board came up with this recipe, with fresh, lemony notes and seasonal produce.

LEMONY COUSCOUS SALAD WITH WISCONSIN FETA CHEESE

Makes 10 servings

2 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 ½ cups couscous (one 10-ounce box)

¼ cup pine nuts

8 ounces feta cheese, diced

2 scallions, sliced1 large tomato, diced

¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In medium saucepan, bring chicken stock and butter to a boil. Add couscous and stir. Cover, remove from heat and let stand until all moisture is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Chill.

Toast pine nuts on an ungreased baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes in preheated oven, until golden. When couscous has cooled, add all remaining ingredients and mix. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Tester’s note: For an intensified lemon flavor, add zest from the lemon to the salad.

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This sauce recipe is from Wisconsin food writer Terese Allen. Brush it on grilled vegetables such as zucchini, asparagus and onions, or toss it with chopped fresh tomatoes or steamed green beans.

MOROCCAN CHERMOULA

Makes about ½ cup

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

2 tablespoons minced cilantro

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon ground cumin

Salt

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

Mix garlic, parsley, cilantro, paprika, cumin, and salt to taste. Stir in lemon juice and olive oil.

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It doesn’t get any easier — or more full of summer flavor — than this dish from “Everyday Food: Light” from Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.

MIXED TOMATO SALAD WITH OLIVES AND LEMON ZEST

Makes 6 servings

2 pounds mixed varieties of tomatoes (such as red or yellow beefsteak, plum and heirloom), sliced

¼ cup mixed olives

1 lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil

Coarse salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Arrange tomatoes and olives on a serving plate. Grate lemon zest over salad. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.