Fresh ideas for produce

July may be my favorite month, when there's a surplus of everything: from string beans and sunshine to baby zucchini and daylilies. This is what we wait for — hope for — during the long, dark days of winter. Indulge in the plentiful choices that our markets and farmers have to offer. Then head to the kitchen or outdoor grill, where the first harvest means an explosion of taste. Dinner doesn't get any better than this.

• Branch out in your use of watermelon and turn it into a salad. Cube it in bite-size chunks and combine with baby greens, sliced red onion, feta, olives and fresh oregano. Toss with a simple vinaigrette, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mmm.

Add it to lemonade and make watermelon-ade. Seed the watermelon and cut into chunks to make 8 cups, then purée. Add to 4 cups lemonade and you've got a treat. If it sits for too long, the liquid gets cloudy, so give it a gentle stir.

Cool off with flavored waters you make yourself. Try adding cucumber slices to water, with or without sprigs of mint or thyme. Or combine cucumber with citrus slices. Pair honeydew, cantaloupe and cucumber. Or slice strawberries and add to the water. Choose only orange, lime or lemon slices. Chill and enjoy.

Make sangria with fresh fruit and either white or red wines. For a white sangria, choose a dry white wine. Pour several bottles into a container and combine with citrus fruits (lemons, limes, oranges) and a handful of barely crushed berries if you have them. Chill and serve as a spritzer with half sparkling water.

Or perhaps the more traditional red sangria is your go-to summer beverage. Start with fruity red wine and combine with lemon, lime and orange slices. Serve as a spritzer by mixing in lemon-lime soda, or sweeten with your own simple syrup (half sugar, half water, heated to melt sugar) and add to wine with sparkling water. Lovely.

Make a salsa verde potato salad by boiling Yukon golds until tender, then cube and toss them with red onion, bell pepper, salsa verde, chopped avocado and salt to taste. Top with chopped fresh cilantro and cotija cheese.

Think pasta and combine with fresh vegetables. Add chopped tomatoes and onion slices with a garlicky vinaigrette. Thinly slice zucchini lengthwise into ribbons using a mandolin or grater. If adding any other vegetables to the pasta, such as snap peas, blanch them for a minute or two in the pasta water. Serve with grated Parmesan.

Or maybe it's a Greek pasta salad that gets your attention: Cook orzo, the rice-shaped pasta. Sauté chopped zucchini, yellow squash and green onions. Toss with the cooked orzo and add chopped cherry tomatoes, parsley, dill, goat cheese, salt and pepper. Drizzle a little vinaigrette in the salad to finish it off. If you like, place the salad atop baby greens.

Not just for the kids: Make your own frozen treats by combining vanilla ice cream or plain yogurt with berries (strawberries would need to be cut up and sweetened). Put them into molds or other containers such as paper cups, and freeze. Add sticks for handles when partially frozen.

Roast red, yellow and orange peppers over the grill or under the broiler by heating them until the skin blisters and becomes dark all over. Place the peppers in a paper bag or covered dish to let the skin "sweat" off. Rinse under cold water and brush off the blistered skin. Use the roasted peppers in salads, with pasta or on a vegetable platter.

Add fresh herbs to any homemade vinaigrette. Start with a 2:1 proportion of olive oil to acid (such as vinegar or juices). Then experiment to find your preference for best ratio for a dressing. Add a mashed garlic clove and a little Dijon mustard.

Whisk together with salt and freshly cracked pepper and your favorite herb.

Looking for no-cook options? Make zucchini carpaccio: Thinly slice zucchini crosswise using a mandolin or grater and spread out on a platter, covering it completely. Drizzle olive oil over zucchini, along with a little lemon juice. Top with finely grated Parmesan, a little salt and chopped fresh mint.

Beet salad your style? Thinly slice beets and cut into matchsticks (wear rubber gloves to prevent staining). Add thin red onion slices and chopped flat-leaf parsley. Toss with an orange juice vinaigrette (2:1 olive oil to OJ) and let sit about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle a little more vinaigrette.

Make breakfast parfaits by layering plain yogurt with berries or pitted cherries and granola. What a way to start the morning.

Take advantage of the fleeting cherry season by puréeing pitted cherries with hibiscus tea, sweetened with sugar. Serve over ice.

Add fresh mint to lemonade, homemade or prepared. Or add sliced strawberries. To make your own lemonade, use about 2 cups fresh lemon juice with a simple syrup to taste (half water/half sugar, heated until the sugar melts; cool before adding to the lemonade). Add water until it's the right tartness.

Make your own green goddess dressing: Combine 1/3 cup minced parsley, 1/3 cup minced chives, 1 tablespoon minced green onions, ¼ cup minced fresh tarragon with 2 ounces of anchovy paste, 3 cups mayonnaise and 1/3 cup tarragon vinegar. Chill and dress green salads. Makes 4 cups.