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1½ cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 cup ice

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately. Garnish with extra blueberries, if desired. (See image, top center)

Watermelon, Apple, and Lime Shake

This drink is best in the summertime, when watermelons are at their sweetest and most flavorful. For cooling off and rehydrating on a hot day, there is simply nothing better. Because watermelons are huge, relatively inexpensive, and have a high water content, they make a good base for drinks. Experiment with using different varieties of tart and sweet apples.

Makes 5 to 6 cups

6 cups coarsely chopped seeded watermelon

2 apples, cored and coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice, or more to taste

1 cup ice

Blend 1 cup of the watermelon in a blender until liquid. Add the rest of the watermelon, the apples, lime juice, and ice, and blend until smooth. Taste and add more lime, if desired. (See image, bottom left)

Lemonade with Lemon Balm and Lemon Verbena

This recipe was inspired by a visit to the Middle East. The day was hot and dry, and someone gave me lemonade with basil and mint. I have been putting herbs in tea and lemonade ever since. Although you can experiment using all sorts of different fresh herbs, this combination makes for a relaxing tonic, as both lemon balm and lemon verbena are known for their calming properties. On a warm night, substitute this lemonade for a glass of white wine, or turn it into a cocktail by adding white wine or champagne.

Makes approximately 5 cups

6 fresh lemon balm leaves

4 fresh lemon verbena leaves

Juice of 4 lemons, plus 1 thinly sliced lemon

4 cups water

Honey or organic dry sugar to taste

Pinch of salt

Combine all of the ingredients except the lemon slices in a blender, starting with a modest amount of sweetener. Blend until the herbs are pulverized, about 5 seconds, then taste and adjust the sweetness.

Chill for an hour, or serve immediately over ice, garnished with a slice of lemon. The lemonade is best drunk within two days. (See image, far right)

Tahini and Honey over Fresh Fruit

This makes for an easy, satisfying breakfast when summer fruit is plentiful. Tahini, a Middle Eastern nut butter made from ground sesame seeds, is most often used to make hummus and baba ghanoush. I find that locally made, organic brands of tahini are fresher, sweeter, and looser than commercial brands, in which the oil has often separated from the solids.

Serves 4

1 cup tahini

½ cup honey

4 cups sliced fresh fruit (berries, peaches, apricots, apples, bananas)

In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini and honey. Divide the fruit among the bowls and top with a heaping ¼ cup of the tahini mixture. Stir gently to incorporate.

Grilled Apricots with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Vinegar

Apricots seem exotic and rare because they disappear from the market before peaches and plums, their stone fruit cousins. Light grilling keeps their pleasing shape intact, and the fruit’s natural sweetness is accentuated by the fat and sourness of the goat cheese. If you don’t have a grill, sear the apricots in a pan, following the same instructions for grilling. For a sweeter take on this recipe, reduce the salt and pepper and, after topping the apricots with the goat cheese, drizzle them with honey and garnish with a few mint leaves.

Serves 4 to 6 as a starter

½ cup fresh goat cheese

6 ripe apricots

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Remove the goat cheese from its package, place in a bowl, and let sit at room temperature to soften.

Cut the apricots in half along the seam that runs around the fruit; the two halves should come apart cleanly after you cut all the way around. Remove the pit. Drizzle the halves lightly with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Heat the grill. Place a few apricots on the grill, cut side down, and grill for just under