Fresh & fruity easy summer meals

Summer fruit, refreshingly sweet and satisfying, offers bursting flavors and perfect textures ideal for inspirational summer dishes. Now you can take advantage of summer's sweetest bounty to make deliciously balanced food that will make your house the most popular in the neighborhood. As with any recipe, when you use the best quality ingredients, your meal will be first-rate.

The summer harvest promises baskets full of fresh fruit including strawberries, blueberries, peaches, raspberries, cherries, plums, papayas, guavas, nectarines and a variety of melons. To find the best tasting fruit, shop seasonally and locally. The closer you can get fruit from its source, the better it will taste and the longer it will last. Looking beyond your home garden, you can find excellent varieties of summer fruit at the farmer's market, roadside fruit stands and the local grocer.

Once you've picked your fruit of choice, preparing tasty meals is a summertime breeze. Think of fruit as both an ingredient and a flavor to be used in all sorts of dishes - salads, meat entrées and desserts. Now team them with a few spices and herbs to complement their robust and rewarding flavors. Basil, thyme, rosemary, cinnamon, ginger and vanilla are great choices. If you're looking for some inspiration, try these fruity recipes from the flavor experts at McCormick and enjoy the best the season has to offer.

Craving something sweet and creamy? Try Berry Lemon Mousse Parfait as an easy prep, no-cook summer dessert that satisfies all your sweet cravings, featuring the season's best offerings. Lemon juice, lemon extract and vanilla brighten the sweetness of fresh, seasonal berries to complete this perfect dessert for summer.

Mix it up with Peachberry Baby Greens Salad. Fresh peaches and strawberries add a light-hearted twist to this summer salad. Start with baby greens including mesclun or arugula. Their slightly bitter green flavor harmonizes well with the sweet fruit. Add the citrus, basil and thyme flavors in McCormick Key West Style Spice Blends and sweet red onions for a simply fantastic salad.

Hungry for a fruitful meal? Serve Grilled Pork Chops with Summertime Salsa. McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning adds robust flavor to the pork. Fresh peaches and raspberries combine with the "sweet heat" of orange and cinnamon to create the fruit salsa. Versatile thyme and rosemary perfectly complement the meat and fruit flavors.

As a side salad or a light meal on its own, try the Cherry Papaya Orzo Salad. The tangy, curry dressing brings out the flavor of papaya, while almonds add a crunchy texture and naturally highlight the sweetness of cherries.

Also see: veal recipes

About The Author:

Martin Collins is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.1st-in-steaks.com. Great tips on buying top quality meats, steaks and seafood from the finest ranchers and butchers.