Melon

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Popsicle molds are sold at some drugstores and department stores.

This cool salsa is the ideal accompaniment for grilled shrimp.

If you prefer, use honeydew melon for an equally good salsa. Offer buttered new potatoes and sautéed spinach with the fish. Afterward, serve slices of pound cake with rum-soaked raisins and store-bought caramel sauce. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

There's plenty of zing in this refreshing summer salad, which also features red onion and peppery watercress.

This recipe yields more ginger syrup than you'll need for the fruit salad. Add a spoonful to a glass of club soda, sparkling water, or iced tea for a refreshing summer drink. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr (includes chilling)

Sugar cookies are the perfect accompaniment to this colorful finale.

A dash of curry powder transforms this cool fruit soup into a sweetly savory first course.

All of these fruits have lots of water in them, so I hold off on the salt, which will only draw out more water and make the dressing soupy. Pepper and basil lend a good kick. Have a bowl of coarse salt nearby if desired.

This dessert is a trompe l'oeil, resembling the peel, rind, and flesh of a cantaloupe.

An old-school ice cream scoop turns out beautiful curls of melon; the pink peppercorn and bay–infused wine syrup keeps things interesting.

Part of the allure of this very grown-up dessert is its texture, which is softly set, rather than bouncy like Jell-O.

This recipe calls for sweet Gewürztraminer, but any other sweet white wine (excluding dessert wines) should do. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional sitting time.

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 3 1/4 hr (includes chilling)

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 45 min

This tangy, spicy chutney is a twist on southern pickled watermelon rind. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 25 1/2 hr (includes chilling)

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min