Summertime favorites with a twist

Spruce up corn on the cob with Parmesan cheese and herbs.Tammy Douglass/ The Chronicle

Summertime brings back lots of fond memories from my childhood in Indiana when my dad had a garden in our backyard. It was so much fun to go out and help pick what was ready and bring it in the house for our meals. To this day, I have never had a tomato as good as what I remember my dad growing.

Living in Florida, we are very fortunate to have a great assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables year-round. So, this month, I thought I would share a few of my favorite ideas to change up the way you enjoy your produce.

The first fruit that I think about during summer is melon. Watermelon is my favorite, but honeydew and cantaloupe are also good. Of course, just a chunk of melon is wonderful by itself, especially when it’s so juicy that it gets all over you. Have you ever tried grilled watermelon? It’s quite delicious. I make it in a grill pan indoors by brushing a little bit of olive oil on a slice (at least 1 inch thick) and cooking it over a medium high heat for about two minutes per side, or until you can see the grill marks. Serve it on a bed of greens — spring mix, arugula or spinach — top with some crumbled goat cheese and drizzle with balsamic glaze and a little bit of salt. I promise it’s amazing.

My next thought of summer produce is corn on the cob. I thoroughly love the fact that our local grocery stores let you de-husk it when you buy it. Growing up, my mom always boiled the cobs, but then this new invention came out called the microwave. Holy cow! In about two minutes per cob, you have fresh corn on the cob with a nice crunch, ready to be buttered up and eaten. Another way to cook it is on the grill. While you can most certainly grill it in the husks, you need to make sure that they are soaked well so they do not catch on fire. An easier way to grill is to season up the cobs with either a little butter or flavored olive oil and wrap each cob in foil and grill for 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally. When the cobs are done, you can most certainly do the traditional salt and pepper, but why not kick it up a notch as Emeril says and sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs? For an even more aMAIZEing (get it?!) idea, mix butter, chili powder and lime juice together and spread on the corn before grilling. When it’s done, sprinkle on Cotija cheese — feta will also work if you can’t find it.

When it comes to strawberries, the go-to at our house is strawberry shortcake with whipped cream and milk poured in the bowl as well. Don’t knock it until you try it. And don’t be trying to sneak those nasty spongy cups into my house. The shortcakes need to be homemade or at least be from a baking mix such as Bisquick or Jiffy. I cook them in cupcake tins so they are sized perfectly for everyone. What I do differently with the strawberries is in addition to tossing them with a little sugar — or stevia — to make some juice. I also sprinkle in some dark chocolate balsamic vinegar and refrigerate them for a couple hours before serving. Another alternative is regular balsamic vinegar and fresh cracked black pepper along with the sugar. Trust me, once you try it, you’ll do it again.

Now let’s chat about zucchini. You can slice it and eat it with your favorite veggie dip. You can roast it or sauté it with some olive oil and herbs or spices. You can make zucchini bread, which is a great trick to getting your kids to eat vegetables. But have you tried shredding it to make faux pasta? Being a carboholic, it’s not a substitute for sure, but it’s still very tasty and a very healthy alternative. There are several gadgets out there that will do the trick. I’ve just been using a tool that looks like a potato peeler but the head is shaped a little differently. You can eat them raw or you can boil/microwave/sauté them to make them more similar to cooked pasta. Add your favorite sauce and voila! Carb-free pasta look alike.

When a peach is perfectly ripe, it’s one of my favorite fruits. There’s generally about a two-day window when they have gone from hard and no taste to mushy and rotten. But when you get that window, and the peach juice runs down your arm when you eat it, can you be any happier? My youngest son requests peach pie. One of the tastiest ways I think to enjoy a peach is to grill or roast it with a little brown sugar and cinnamon and perhaps also brushing it with alcohol (bourbon, brandy, amaretto and dark rum work wonderfully). When they are warmed and or have grill marks, place a dollop of ricotta cheese on it and top it off with a drizzle of honey and some crushed pistachios. My mouth is watering as I type this. I’m pretty sure I need to buy some peaches this week

While pears are probably more of a fall item, I thought I’d add them in this article as well. They are great sliced thinly or diced and put in salads or also tasty when cooking oatmeal. But have you poached them or baked them? If you core and halve them, place some raspberry jam in the hollowed out portion, add some blue cheese crumbles and chopped walnuts and bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. It’s a simple but elegant dessert to serve any time of the year.

I’d love to hear about the ways you enjoy your favorite produce! Please post a note on my Facebook page www.facebook.com/goodfoodforeverymood and share with fellow foodies!