Summer is peak season for casual entertaining and going to the local farmers market or roadside stand. This year, combine both for a get-together that'll rejuvenate body and spirit with farm-fresh fruits and vegetables. Most of these delicious recipes can be prepared in advance, requiring little more than last-minute assembly or reheating.

Fresh herbs in small pots make terrific table accents. Or you may consider wrapping herbs around the bases of water goblets and wineglasses for an extra-fragrant touch.

Favorite Summertime Recipes:
1. Green Beans With Basil Vinaigrette
2. Cucumber-and-Yogurt Dipping Sauce
3. Tomato Pie
4. Grilled-Tuna Sandwiches

• Check the bottoms of berry cartons for juice stains (nature's expiration date).
• Select melons that are about the same size, and then pick the heaviest. The extra weight indicates a more flavorful melon.
• Do a little digging when you're searching for beans. The smallest, most tender ones usually fall to the bottom of the bin. Also, look for fresh pods that snap rather than bend.

Fresh Flower and Vegetable Centerpiece
When having friends over for a summer meal, spice up your table with this easy and fun centerpiece featuring fresh vegetables and gerbera daisies.

How to Tell When Citrus Fruit Is Ripe
Delicious as candy, full of bright, tasty juice and vitamins, citrus fruits are a mainstay of the produce display at the grocery store.

Produce Lesson 101
All of this produce has been used in our Test Kitchens as we've prepared recipes. Here are some useful storage and time-saving tips that will help you in the kitchen.

Vegetable Storage Tips
Use these tips to keep vegetables at their freshest.

Citrus
Almond Citrus Salad
Garden Sangria
Grand Oranges
Avocado Citrus Salad

Greens
Collard Green Risotto and Pot Liquor
Collard Greens Soup
Simple Turnip Greens
Layered BLT Salad
Layered Southwestern Salad
Mixed Greens With Rasberry Dressing
Southern-Style Cobb Salad
Super-Charged Greens

Peppers
Marinated Mirlitons, Artichokes, and Peppers
Pasta with Sausage and Bell Peppers
Green Beans With Shallots and Red Bell Pepper
Grilled Vegetable Sandwich
Stuffed Banana Peppers
Leeks and Peppers with Linguine
Pepper Burgers With Caramelized Onions
Pork-And-Pepper Skillet
Red Pepper Hummus Pizza

Potatoes
Cheesy Potatoes and Onions
Whipped Celery Potatoes
Green Beans with Ham and Potatoes
Escalloped Potatoes
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Onions
Mashed Potatoes with Tomato Gravy

Tomatoes
Roasted Garlic-and-Basil Tomato Soup
Dried Tomato Pesto
Green Beans in Tomato Sauce
Kentucky Bibb Salad with Fried Green Tomatoes
Italian Tomato Salad
Chilled Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup
Hot Tomato Grits
Green Tomato Pickles

(During the summer and early fall farmers markets and roadside stands are bursting with two Southern favorites--fresh peaches and figs. We hope that you'll thumb through our feature food stories, "From the Orchard to the Table" (page 88) and "Fresh Figs" (page 94), in the July 2002 issue of Southern Living. The tasty recipes and great photos are sure to entice you to try these summertime favorites at the peak of ripeness. As you travel throughout peach-growing regions of the South or even visit a friend's backyard, we hope that you'll gather enough fruit to try out our recipes.)