I love the warm weather, but I’ll admit there have been a few days of late when I thought if our air conditioning conked out I might melt into a puddle like the Wicked Witch of the West in “The Wizard of Oz.”

Our summers here in Maine are always busy with lots of house guests, dinner guests, cocktail hour guests and guests of guests joining us – fun!

But we’ve also been up to our eyeballs in helping my dear Mommy clean out her beautiful (and large) house that she has called home for the past 43 years, as she downsizes and moves to an independent living complex for seniors. I can drive Route 95 south blindfolded with one hand tied behind my back these days!

As we limp up the ‘pike very late in the day, the last thing I really feel like doing is cooking, and I confess that the first thing I want to do is have a shower and then sit with Peter on the patio and enjoy an icy cold martini.

Dinner? Oh yeah. Off to the kitchen to rustle something up delicious without too much effort or too many pots on the stove.

This week’s offering is a couple of salads (a side salad and a main dish salad), a quick to prepare shrimp stuffed tomato that is an entrée and some luscious no-bake desserts that are all perfect for hot summertime meals. Enjoy!

WATERMELON SALAD

Be sure to use fresh parsley and mint in this recipe – dried won’t work well.

FOR THE SALAD:

7 cups watermelon cubes (use seedless watermelon)

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

3/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/2 cup packed arugula (or fresh baby spinach)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

FOR THE DRESSING:

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp. fresh orange juice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE GARNISH:

1/3 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted 

To prepare the salad: In a large bowl, combine watermelon, feta cheese, onion, arugula, parsley and mint.

To prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and orange juice. Slowly whisk in olive oil until combined. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

To serve: Drizzle dressing over salad and toss gently to coat. Garnish with almonds and serve. Yield: eight servings.

SUMMERTIME SUPPER SALAD

The only cooking required in this delicious main dish salad is for the pasta.

FOR THE SALAD:

1 box (16 oz.) wagon-wheel pasta, cooked according to package directions and drained

2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces (think delicatessen)

3/4 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 cups fresh spinach, shredded

1 cup pitted black olives, halved

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

2 ripe tomatoes, cored and diced

FOR THE DRESSING:

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. honey

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

To prepare the salad: In a large bowl, com¬bine pasta, chicken, bacon, spinach, black olives, feta and tomatoes. 

To prepare the dressing: Combine mustard, vinegar, olive oil, pepper, honey and garlic in a small jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake well; let stand 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

To serve: Drizzle dressing over salad and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately. Yield: six to eight servings 

SHRIMP STUFFED TOMATOES

Stabilize the tomatoes in a muffin tin for ease of filling.

8 medium tomatoes 

FOR THE SHRIMP FILLING:

3/4 lb. cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped (most larger supermarkets offer cooked and shelled shrimp)

1 stalk celery, finely diced

4 green onions, finely diced

2 Tbsp. finely chopped roasted red peppers

FOR THE DRESSING:

1 tsp. prepared horseradish

1 Tbsp. Dijon style mustard

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To prepare the tomatoes: Using a sharp knife, slice about 1/4 inch off the tops of each tomato. Carefully hollow out tomato, leaving about a 1/4-inch shell. (Reserve pulp for another use.) Lightly salt the inside of tomato cups and then place cut side down on a paper towel.

To prepare the shrimp filling: In a large bowl, combine shrimp with celery, green onions and roasted red peppers.

To prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, combine horseradish with Dijon and parsley. Whisk in vinegar; add olive oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

To assemble: Pour dressing over shrimp mixture and mix gently. Sprinkle with lemon juice and stir again. Turn tomatoes over and fill with stuffing. Serve at once. Yield: eight stuffed tomatoes.

FROZEN PUDDING CONES

This is a delicious treat that the kids can easily help prepare and enjoy!

2 cups cold milk

2 pkgs. (4 serving size) instant pudding mix – choice of flavor

8 oz. non-dairy whipped topping, thawed, divided use

10 flat-bottomed ice cream cones

Colored sprinkles or chocolate jimmies

Combine milk and both boxes of pudding mix in a medium bowl; whisk vigorously for 2 minutes. Fold in 2 cups of whipped topping; divide mixture between the 10 cones. Spread tops with remaining whipped topping and top with sprinkles. Freeze for 3 hours. (Tip: I put them in my popover pan so they wouldn’t tip over.) Yield: 10 kid-friendly treats.

EASY MARGARITA PIE

A slightly tart and very refreshing dessert. You can use reduced fat ingredients with good results.

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup frozen margarita mix concentrate, thawed

4 oz. non-dairy whipped topping, thawed

1 9-inch graham cracker pie crust, purchased or homemade

Place strawberries, cream cheese and margarita mix concentrate in blender or food processor. Cover and mix on medium speed until well blended. Pour mixture into a medium bowl; fold in whipped topping. Pour into pie crust and freeze 4-6 hours or until firm. Let stand at room temperature 5-10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 10 servings. (Freeze leftovers)

Paula Anderson is a freelance journalist specializing in food, entertaining and nutrition. She writes for several newspapers, as well as Maine Food & Lifestyle Magazine. She divides her time between Scarborough and Big Pine Key, Fla., where she lives with her husband Peter and their kitty Mina. Correspondence can be addressed to her at the Boothbay Register, P.O. Box 357, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538 or the Wiscasset Newspaper, P.O. Box 429, Wiscasset, ME 04578. You can also write to her directly via email at pander@maine.rr.com.

“Summer cooking implies a sense of immediacy, a capacity to capture the essence of the fleeting moment.” ~ Elizabeth David, food writer (1913-1992)