Blueberries are a summer treat. Inky blue, sweet and juicy, they are a healthy snack you can pop in your mouth, fold into yogurt and bake into desserts. I grew up in New England and lived for many years in Scandinavia, where blueberries grew wild in our garden and forest. We would forage for hours, searching for the little berries hiding in the shrubs, passing up the little clusters of unripe lilac-green berries, and plucking the midnight blues. You had to work hard to harvest a significant amount, and it was likely hopeless, since half of the harvest would be devoured on the spot.

Wild blueberries are smaller than their cultivated, or high bush, cousins, but their size yields a whopping amount of flavor and a feisty snap when your teeth break through their skin. Now, years later, I live in California, where I rely on my local farmers' market to deliver punnets of farmed blueberries, helpfully arranged in neat rows on the market tables, no picking required. These berries are larger, plumper, more sweet and less tart than their hardy wild cousins, but equally delicious and healthy. I often buy a double amount, because I know from experience that I will devour at least half of them on my way home.

I made these gorgeous tartlets with the few berries I managed to salvage from my last market trip. The luscious filling is 100 percent yogurt, not cream cheese or sour cream, so you can almost say they are healthy. I use whole milk Greek yogurt, which is naturally thick and creamy, with a slight tang that perfectly offsets the mellow sweetness of the cultivated blueberries. As for the crust, it's a traditional graham cracker crust, which, admittedly, has sugar and butter (as any self-respecting graham cracker crust should). So these tarts are rich yet light, and just a little bit wicked, which is OK if you ask me. It's a dessert after all, and we all deserve to be a little wicked.

If you prefer, you can make one large 9-inch tart, but I recommend the individual tartlets, which are fun to present.

Blueberry Tartlets With Yogurt and Lemon

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes

Yield: makes 6 (3-inch) tartlets. (If you prefer, you can make one large 9-inch tart, but I recommend the individual tartlets, which are fun to present.)

Crust:

5 ounces graham crackers, finely ground, about 1 1/4 cups

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:

2 cups whole milk Greek yogurt

1/4 cup runny honey or sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus extra for garnish

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups blueberries

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the graham crackers, butter, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl and mix until combined and sticky. Spoon 3 tablespoons crumbs into 1 ramekin or mini-tart shell and press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the sides; place on a baking tray. Repeat with the remaining ramekins.

Bake the shells until the crusts begin to turn golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and cool completely on a rack.

While the crusts are cooling, whisk the yogurt, honey, lemon juice, zest and vanilla in a bowl.

Spoon the yogurt into the cooled crusts, smoothing the tops. Dot the yogurt with blueberries and garnish with lemon zest. If you have any remaining crumbs of crust, you can sprinkle a few pinches over each tartlet if desired. Refrigerate the tartlets until serving, up to 4 hours.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood.

It's grilling season, and everyone should have a no-fail marinade to rely on to carry them through the summer. It should be something simple and versatile, easy to whip up within minutes with just a handful of ingredients, and flexible enough that you can use it on all your favorite grillables, including meat, fish and vegetables.

The key ingredient in this essential marinade is Sriracha sauce, a Thai chili sauce with a touch of garlic and sugar that balances its fiery heat. I made this marinade recently when I grilled up a mess o' shrimp, and they disappeared before you could say, "Pass the Sriracha."

All that I could think about was how good this marinade tasted -- spicy, sweet and sharp without being overpowering. So, the next day I made another batch and used it to flavor these chicken skewers for a simple grilled dinner. It did not disappoint.

It's clear that this marinade is now a keeper, guaranteed to enhance whatever it coats, adding flavor while letting the protein or vegetable shine through. Go ahead and give it a try on your favorite meats, like chicken, steak or pork, or firm-fleshed fish, like swordfish, halibut and salmon. It's also a great basting sauce for grill-friendly veggies, like portobello mushrooms, zucchini and asparagus.

Just like a good friend, this marinade won't let you down.

Grilled Chicken Skewers With Sriracha-Lime Marinade

Prep time: 20 minutes

Marinating time: 4 to 6 hours

Grilling time: 8 to 10 minutes

Yield: makes 4 servings (makes about 3/4 cup marinade)

For the marinade:

1/4 cup lime juice

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons Sriracha

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

For the chicken:

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 medium red bell peppers, stemmed and seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Special equipment: Bamboo skewers, presoaked in water for 30 minutes

Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss to thoroughly coat. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling.

Thread the chicken pieces on skewers, alternating with the pepper and onion pieces. Brush the vegetables with some of the excess marinade and season the skewers with salt and pepper.

Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat. Grill the skewers over direct medium heat, with the lid closed, until well-marked and thoroughly cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes, turning as needed. Serve warm.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood.

If heat could speak, then it would have been shouting this weekend. Summer is in full force, and the temperatures are soaring. When it's this hot, appetites wane, thirst dominates, and food takes on a cool and liquid quality. In other words, it's time for gazpacho.

Gazpacho is a raw tomato-based soup blended with a cornucopia of produce. It's perfect when the weather is stifling. No cooking is required: The spiced tomato juice quenches thirst, and a confetti of chopped vegetables refreshes and nourishes without feeling heavy. I prefer to keep my gazpacho chunky. I don't puree it, so I can take pleasure in each slurpy mouthful of crunchy vegetables mingling with cool juice.

The usual vegetables in gazpacho are tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. I always add more for color, flavor and texture. Carrots and bell peppers add sweetness, chile peppers add a kick of heat, even fennel is a nice addition for its anise flavor and crispy texture. Spices can either tip toward the Southwest with cumin or veer to the Mediterranean with basil and oregano.

In this recipe, I took inspiration from the Bloody Mary, my favorite veggie cocktail, and added celery, Worcestershire sauce and a generous squirt of Tabasco. It essentially tastes like a Virgin Bloody Mary, with a whole lot of crispy garnishes. And now that we're talking cocktails, you might even be tempted to add a splash of vodka to finish it -- and why not? If you're in the mood (and appropriately of age), take that extra step and add a glug of vodka for a wondrous beverage-soup-and-salad in a glass, and you'll have a perfect (adult) antidote to a hot and shouty day.

Bloody Mary Gazpacho

Prep time: 20 minutes

Chilling time: 2 to 6 hours

Yield: makes 6 servings (At first, the soup will be quite thick with all the ingredients. It will become more juicy while it chills in the refrigerator.)

1 quart tomato juice

2 large vine-ripened tomatoes, stemmed and seeded, finely diced

1 large celery stalk, finely diced

1 large carrot, finely diced

1 English cucumber with skin, seeded, finely diced

1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely diced

1 medium poblano pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely diced

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed and seeded, minced

1 large garlic clove, minced

Juice of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley leaves (or cilantro)

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the parsley. Mix together and taste for seasoning. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours.

Before serving, stir in the parsley. If serving as a soup, ladle into bowls. To serve as a cocktail, mix 1 cup gazpacho with 1/2 ounce vodka, or to taste. Serve in a glass with a lime wedge.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood.