I got my first slow cooker in December and it was love at first stew. All through the winter my family dined on soups and stews, chickens and roasts. But then summer approached and I thought, time to turn to my old friend the barbeque. Slow cookers are for the cooler months, right?

Wrong.

The library director told me she was planning a June display on slow cookers because slow cookers are great in the summer. No overly warm kitchen. No broiling in front of a grill. Simple. Slow. Cool.

New though I am to the slow cooker universe, I immediately grasped the possibilities. And the cookbooks. I went straight to the library shelves and discovered great recipes like braised pork shoulder with soft tacos and watermelon-tomato salsa and spicy veggie chili with summer squash and jalapenos from Year Round Slow Cooker by Dina Cheney. My mouth watered for easy cheesy sloppy joes, open-faced pizza sandwiches, and risotto primavera with chicken from Year-Round Slow Cooker Recipes by Better Homes and Gardens.

Looks like my slow cooker and I won’t be apart this summer after all.

The library has a host of books on display in our lobby during June so you and your slow cooker can enjoy the summer together: