Summer-Fruit Soup Cooking

Jane Shapton's cold puréed soup of cantaloupe and peaches, topped with raspberries, captures the flavors of the season. She serves it for brunch or dessert, in hollowed-out melon halves. A splash of white Zinfandel underscores the fruity flavors of the soup, but you can use just peach nectar if you prefer.
Grilled Chicken and Nectarine Salad
Jay Decker, Medina, WA
Jay Decker combines barbecued chicken, sweet nectarines, tangy goat cheese, and toasted pecans in a great entrée salad.

Black Bean, Rice, and Veggie Salad
Becca Steinkamp, Bellingham, WA
Becca Steinkamp gives her mother credit for this vegetable-loaded rice-and-bean salad, which she calls "ensalada de colores." On warm summer evenings, she doubles the recipe to feed a crowd without heating up the kitchen. You can also make the salad up to 1 day ahead of time; chill airtight.
Toyoshimas' Teriyaki Tri-Tip
Michael Toyoshima, Whittier, CA
Michael Toyoshima traces his family teriyaki marinade to the time when his grandmother worked on Kauai in the sugarcane and pineapple fields. Now he and his children use the marinade on chicken, pork, and beef. For the most flavor, marinate the meat overnight.