Summertime fare

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The lazy days of summer call for easy, palate-pleasing dishes. Lakeside or on the patio, they're as fun to serve as they are to eat.

Cheese-Stuffed Peppers

Yummy little bundles of goodness. Make extra--they'll disappear fast.

2 packages assorted mini peppers

Filling

4 ounces Boursin herbed cheese or 4 ounces cream cheese

1 tablespoon dry onion flakes

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

Wash and dry the peppers. With a sharp knife, make a slit, lengthwise, on the side of each pepper. Push the ends together to open the slit. Fill with cheese; close shut.

Heat the grill to medium-high. Place peppers on the grill for approximately 2 minutes per side. You just want to get a char and some nice grill marks on each pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6-8

Whitefish with Herbed Vinaigrette

Fresh and flavorful and best of all, quick.

4 whitefish fillets, 6-8 ounces each

(Use any whitefish of your choice: Grouper, Walleye, Black Cod, Sunfish, Orange Roughy, Halibut, etc.)

Vinaigrette:

1/3 cup olive oil

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, plus more for fish

Place all vinaigrette ingredients in a jar and shake well. Set aside.

Heat the grill to medium high. Use a grill pan or place a sheet of tinfoil on the grill and punch some holes in it. Coat both sides of the fish fillets in olive oil and Cajun seasoning. Place fillets on the pan/tinfoil and grill for 4-7 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fillet. Fish will flake when done.

Drizzle vinaigrette over fillets and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Red Potato and Asparagus Salad

A new twist on an old favorite. You'll love this lightened-up version of potato salad.

1 pound baby red potatoes, washed and sliced in half

1 bunch asparagus, tough ends trimmed

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Vinaigrette

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for coating veggies

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

1 tablespoon fresh chopped tarragon

1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill

4 green onions, green part only, chopped

teaspoon salt

teaspoon pepper

Place all vinaigrette ingredients in a jar and shake well. Set aside.

Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until almost done, approximately 15-20 minutes. The potato will finish cooking on the grill. You can do this the day before and store in the refrigerator.

Heat the grill to medium-high. Lightly coat the asparagus spears with olive oil and salt and pepper. Grill on medium heat for approximately 4-7 minutes, depending on the thickness of the spear. Turn once during the cooking process. Remove from heat, cool, and cut into bite-size pieces.

Toss potatoes in olive oil; salt and pepper them. Place, cut side down, on a grill that's been heated to medium-high. Grill for 7-10 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Combine the potatoes, asparagus, and vinaigrette; toss to coat.

Serves 4

Macerated Fruit

A delightful way to finish off dinner.

1 pint strawberries

1 cup raspberries

1 cup blackberries

1 cup blueberries

1 cup sugar, plus more as needed

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Juice of lemon, plus more as needed

2 tablespoons anise liqueur, such as sambuca or anisette

Hull the strawberries; halve or quarter if large. Combine with the raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and liqueur; stir well.

Pour over fruit and mix well.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or as long as overnight, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the flavorings before serving.

Serves 4-6