Lemon

Green olive bruschetta spread can be found near jarred olives and pasta sauces, or in the refrigerated section of the supermarket. It usually contains chopped olives, oil, sun-dried tomatoes, and herbs.

Editor's note: This recipe is adapted from Gabrielle Carbone, coproprietor of The Bent Spoon ice cream parlor in Princeton, New Jersey. These peels add a wonderful, bright flavor to our Lemon Ice Cream, but this technique can also be used to make candied lime or grapefruit peel. The recipe can be doubled or tripled to make a bigger batch. Try dipping the peels in bittersweet chocolate for a delicious treat. Because you'll be eating the peel, it's especially important to use an organic lemon (which won't have been sprayed with pesticides) in this recipe. If you must use a regular lemon, scrub it vigorously to clean the outside as thoroughly as possible.

Editor's note: This recipe is adapted from Gabrielle Carbone, coproprietor of The Bent Spoon ice cream parlor in Princeton, New Jersey. This refreshing ice cream makes a white, creamy layer in the middle of our red, white, and blue cake. As with all cooking, if you start with great ingredients, you'll get great results. Hormone-free milk, fresh cream, and organic lemons make all the difference. If Meyer lemons are in season, try using them for both the juice and the candied peel — you'll be amazed by the wonderful depth of flavor. The candied lemon peels are optional — regular zest can be used instead. But the peels make delicious yellow chunks in the ice cream and are surprisingly simple to make.

Mahimahi is on of Hawaii's most popular fish; firm-fleshed and mild-flavored, it can be cooked in almost any manner and cloaked in almost any sauce. I like the flavor of citrus with mahimahi, enhanced by some spicy peppercorns. Sweet bananas, a hint of coconut, and macadamia nuts add to the tropical flavors in this light dish.

Food Editor: Melissa Roberts-Matar
Father: Richard Roberts, Monsey, NY
Summer and my father's grilled lemon chicken are synonymous for me. Like the alphabet-shaped pancakes he cooked on weekend mornings, this is a signature creation, and one he perfected over time. The chicken picks up a bright citrus flavor in an unusual marinade made with lemon, oil, and egg. Dad likes to serve it with homemade potato salad and iced tea spiked with mint leaves.

The citrus-scented sugar syrup will make more than enough for eight drinks. Use the extra for seconds, or save it for sweetening other citrus cocktails. Freshly ground nutmeg is more aromatic than the pre-ground spice. Buy whole nutmeg (often sold in jars in the supermarket spice section) and scrape against the finest holes on a box grater.

You'll need an instant-read thermometer and a heavy-duty stand mixer with paddle attachment to make this brioche-like sweet bread.

To make the shortbread cookie crumbs for the crust, seal the cookies in a heavy plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them into fine crumbs.

You can make the lavender syrup and slice the berries ahead of time, but toss them together at the last minute. Any remaining lemon sugar can be used to sweeten espresso or tea.

These sweet-crisp cookies can be baked days ahead and, because the recipe is so generous, you can send your guests home with some.

We prefer wild salmon not only for ecological reasons but for its flavor, which is more mild than that of farm raised. Although limited varieties are available year-round, peak season begins in the spring, when the fish are caught en route to their spawning rivers.