Quick and easy to make, this Mild Black Bean Salsa recipe will please the whole family.

On a cool summer evenings (they usually are cool here in Maine), a local community band assembles on a stage inside a blow-up shell and plays song after song after song for a big audience. On another summer evening, an audience gathers in a local square, settling into chairs and onto blankets to watch an outdoor movie be shown. And all over, people take to the trails for nature walks, hikes and runs.

There’s so much to do in local communities — from art shows to concerts, festivals to farmers markets.

In some ways, it feels like I had blinders on before I moved to Maine. In so many communities there are great programs and events happening, but if you aren’t tuned in — or don’t pay attention — you miss them. I know there were outdoor concerts — I’d attended them as a child during my summers in Connecticut — but even though I saw them advertised every summer, we never went in my adulthood (or, almost never … a friend and I attended a few children’s concerts with our kids). Now I wish I did.

But here, it’s hard to miss how much is available in the community — and often for free (donations are usually welcome though). There are outdoor movies, street fairs, author workshops and talks, and so much more. There’s also history walking tours for a nominal fee, which can be pretty interesting.

There are just so many things to do in your own community, city and state. If you take the time to learn about them and try.

So this summer? It’s all about taking advantage of what’s happening, digging into the culture that’s all around us and having enormous amounts of fun. So far, so good.

It’s also about eating well. Always. And this easy recipe for Mild Black Bean Salsa? It’s totally an eating-well sort of thing. It’s mild, so the whole family can enjoy it. But it’s also well-seasoned and full of flavor, a good balance.

Fresh and wholesome, it’s delicious with tortilla chips. But it’s also tasty spread on tacos or eaten with nachos. You could also spread some on a cheese omelet or serve it with grilled chicken and avocado.

And did I mention it’s super easy to make? Because it is.