Shortcake, cheesecake, ice cream, pavlova, sponge cake...just a few wonderful reasons to bring on the strawberries! Who doesn't love the glistening drool of ruby red sweetness cascading down a tower of heavy cream and pound cake...oh bring it on! One of the defining characteristics of great strawberry sauce is the sauce...and pools of it! Ever had that same tower begging for more, more of that lavish sauciness?

Ice cream...pure luxurious pleasure. Any time of year works for me, but in summer time, the ice cream freezer takes a more frequent position on the kitchen counter, inspiration running about as high as outdoor temperatures. Bumper crops of strawberries, blueberries and peaches offer perfect excuses to churn frozen concoctions into sandwiches, cake and cones, don't you think?

It's that time of year again! I see an army of green gourds advancing on the horizon, zucchini days are here! It's still early, so we welcome the garden's gift by busting out recipes of every kind, promising ourselves that we will use every beautiful squash that comes our way. From zucchini bread to ratatouille, frittatas and quiches to muffins, creativity runs wild as we desperately look for new ways to use massive amounts of the perishable squash.