Mixed salad greens topped with tart Granny Smith apples, Asiago cheese, pine nuts and a maple/mustard vinaigrette prove to be a winning combination.

There's nothing like eating fruits and vegetables while they're in season. In the fall, apples are in their prime and this simple dessert is a tasty way to enjoy them.

This recipe for two individual apple pies is just right for a cozy meal on a crisp autumn night.

There are a variety of ways arugula can be used in the kitchen. This recipe for arugula pesto is a prime example. It is a delicious way to prepare pesto when fresh basil is not available.

Grow eggplant and flat leaf parsley in your garden to have the ingredients for baba ghanoush.

Tart green apples are a perfect complement to the sugary taste of sweet potatoes. And with just a touch of honey added, this dish is not as sweet as some of the more traditional preparations of...

Here's a simple recipe for boysenberry sauce or syrup that you can make home.

Ice cream is the quintessential summer dessert and blackberries are at the peak of their season, so why not combine these two summer favorites in a delightful treat - blackberry ice cream?

Preserves made with fresh fruit or berries are a treat on a cold winter day.

I found this recipe in the Farmer's Almanac and find it to be a tasty variation on traditional flummery. Cornstarch is omitted and the blueberry jam is baked between layers of buttered bread.

This pasta dish recipe was given to me by my friends at the Viking Cooking School. The spicy olive oil sauce is a nice complement to the slightly bitter flavor of the rabe.

Like many of the best recipes, once the secret is out it must shared among friends. I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I did.

Dine on a healthy dose of beta-carotene with this tasty recipe using one of winter's best vegetables, carrots.

Most of the work in this recipe goes into making the filling and even that's pretty minimal.

My friend Capi Peck whipped up a batch of these chicken kebabs while we were taping at her restaurant Trio's. I love the flavors of fresh mint and oregano for a summer evening meal.

Rob Best of Simply the Best Catering in North Little Rock, AR has been making the special days of others extra special with his recipes and catering for years. Rob shared with me this recipe for...

You don't need a fancy dehydrator to make these yummy dried apple chips.

It's delicious for an early evening meal after a long day in working in the garden. Plus it is extremely easy to make - another benefit when you are worn out from weeding and watering.

There's nothing I like better than enjoying a bowl full of hot soup while thumbing through my stacks of gardening catalogs dreaming about spring.

This crisp salad is a tasty treat on a hot summer day. Refreshing cucumber and sweet watermelon are lightly flavored with a little lemon juice and chopped basil.

I received this recipe from Tandra Watkins at the Capital Hotel restaurant, Ashley's. The Capital Hotel is a historic hotel in my home town Little Rock, Arkansas.

Here is an easy recipe for one of my favorite snacks. Loaded with garlic it not only tastes great but will keep you healthy as well.

This is another great recipe from The Viking Cooking School. Soybeans, chili oil, garlic, miso and lemon juice create a tasty dip that is a delightful twist on hummus.

At the peak of fig season I like to make a batch of fig preserves. With this recipe the figs are flavored with strawberry gelatin.

This recipe is ideal for kids because it doesn't require any cooking and they can see how the berries they've grown or purchased from the farmers market can go from garden to table.

This recipe for herbed cream cheese couldn't be easier to prepare. It's a great way to use the herbs that you grow in your garden.

Melons are great paired with tangy cheeses such as havarti, gorgonzola or chevre or served as a refreshing dessert with an after dinner wine. This recipe can be used either way.

This sorbetto, which is Italian for sorbet, is very simple with just a few ingredients. It's so cool and sweet. Perfect for summer.

Now in spite of the term fried, the apples in this dish are actually quite tender. The buttery syrup makes them delicious served as a dessert or even a tasty garnish to pork.

Here is a simple recipe for fruit and spinach salad with toasted walnuts. For a little extra flavor you can also add some crumbled goat cheese.

One of the delights of summer is the availability of fresh fruit. This recipe for fresh fruit salad is great topped with granola and served for a late breakfast or afternoon snack.

Serve this soup cold with a nice thick slice of crusty peasant bread. It truly is the taste of summer in a bowl.

The spicy flavor of these cookies makes them perfect for chilly autumn afternoons. The consistency is more like cake than a cookie. The simple frosting adds a finishing touch.

This recipe for marinated, grilled artichokes comes from the heart of artichoke country - California. Fresh herbs, garlic and olive oil are a few of the ingredients that make this recipe so...

Viking Cooking School Chef Elizabeth Heiskell fires up the indoor grill and demonstrates how to turn ordinary asparagus into something extraordinary. The Ginger Sesame Dipping Sauce that...

It's a fun, fizzy drink that is perfect for summer celebrations.

Apple cider, orange, pineapple and lemon juices are blended with spices for a warm holiday treat.

This yummy salad is prepared with cool season vegetables that grow in both the spring and fall garden. I like them because they are easy to peel and very sweet.

It's a great recipe for kids because it's quick and easy.

Treat yourself to the taste of summer with this easy to prepare lemon chess pie.

Extra lemony and creamy this curd can be used as a spread on toasted bread, as a tart filling or served like custard with fresh berries, which is how I prepare this recipe.

If you over did it with the hamburgers and ice cream on the Fourth of July, you'll enjoy this recipe for grilled catfish seasoned with fresh herbs, lemon, red onion and brown mustard.

I have been making this recipe for lemon icebox pie for many years and I never tire of it. It is similar to Key lime pie with just a little more punch.

I like to make this dessert with tart pans rather than a pie pan because the custard is not quite solid enough for a slice of pie.

Some people prefer chocolate, but I've always had a preference for fruit desserts and the tangy flavor of lemon is one of my favorites.

Strawberry coulis is a simple sauce made with fresh strawberries, sugar and lemon juice. It is the perfect topping for this extra moist lemon pound cake.

Louis Petit at Café Prego in Little Rock Arkansas shares a family recipe for a cream based lemon rosemary sauce. It's great on chicken, salmon, veal or pasta.

It's a yummy mix of cake and pudding. The batter separates during cooking resulting in a sponge cake layer on top of a tangy lemon pudding layer.

Chef Martha Foose at the Viking Cooking School makes entertaining seem easy with her recipe for Marinated Feta Bruschetta.

Vidalia onions are grown in a specific region in Georgia and are available for only a limited time in summer. Their mild flavor makes them perfect for grilling, relishes, salads and this...

It is the perfect beverage to serve at luncheons and afternoon get togethers or for when you are just looking for an escape from the summer's heat.

Of course this dish tastes best when you can get fresh summer tomatoes, but I like it so much that I prepare it out of season with locally grown greenhouse tomatoes that I purchase from the...

This sorbet has a patriotic theme; red, white and blue. Raspberries for red, lemons for white and blueberries for blue. It's the perfect dessert for Fourth of July celebrations.

I found this sherbet recipe in a gardening magazine from 1950. Served with a sugar cookie, it is a delicious variation on my grandmother's rhubarb and strawberry pie.

This recipe for sautéed spinach is a terrific way to prepare this cool season crop. It is fast, easy and great for you.

Chef Chris Green with the Viking Cooking School gave me this recipe for Smoked Eggplant Spread. It's a smoky twist on baba ghanoush, the Classic Middle Eastern pureed eggplant dip. This creamy...

This is a condiment that is traditionally used for Moroccan dishes, but it's also tasty with other items that benefit from a burst of lemon flavor like fish or poultry. It's also a great gift for...

Garnished with sliced strawberries and a dollop of fresh whipped cream, this dessert is a delicious treat on a warm spring day.

I received this recipe from Evelyn, an 87-year-old gardener in Kentucky. It has a sweet flavor as opposed to the savory tomato pie that I shared with you a few weeks ago. And it sure is good!

I can pick a few peppers, tomatoes and herbs and 30 minutes later have a salad on the table. Food does not get any fresher than that, which is just the way a summer meal should be.

This is an excellent recipe for tabouli that executive chef Terry Conlan at Lake Austin Spa Resort shared with me for my half hour show.

You'll find that Brown Turkey fruit is medium to large, with a reddish-brown skin tinged with purple. The pulp is reddish-pink and firm. It's an excellent variety for making home preserves.

Looking for an alternative to egg salad? How about this vegan version made with chickpeas, vegenaise and tarragon?

It tastes great on crackers or as a sandwich spread and it will give you a chance to make the most of some of your early vegetables - all without cooking.

As a southerner, I'm certainly familiar with iced tea and lemonade and all the possible permutations you could come up with. But I have to say this idea of raspberry-watermelon lemonade, well,...