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Do we dare think summer is here after having one eighty degree day? Let’s just assume so and get on with the season of chilled party dips, cold salads and fruity desserts.

Several requests came in for Rhonda Kuch’s Bacon Dip. She found this recipe in a magazine a number of years ago, and over time has adjusted it to accommodate new products available today. The recipe that follows is the original, with Rhonda’s adjustments in the following paragraph.

Bacon Dip

8 ounces softened cream cheese

1/2 cup Miracle Whip

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped green onion

2/3 cup fried crumbled bacon, (or more) or cooked ham

Combine all ingredients, mixing well.

The version that brought in the recipe requests was made with whipped cream cheese and fried turkey bacon, run through a food processor and chopped to cut it very fine.

This dip is great with all kinds of crackers and chips, and especially good with celery sticks. I found using an electric mixer made a smooth but light mixture without pulverizing the bacon and onions.

My husband Pat, found an unusual recipe for potato salad on the CNN website. This is a salad for those of you who like to kick it up a notch with spicy additions. The recipe has been posted by Kat Kinsman several times over the years, and is her husband Douglas’ recipe. Just a note before you get started, I didn’t put near the amount of salt in the recipe as called for, so use discretion.

Douglas’ Summer

Potato Salad

3 pound small red potatoes

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

2 stalks celery, including leaves

1/2 white or yellow onion

3 fresh green scallions

1 Tbsp smoked paprika

1 fist full kosher salt (I used 1 Tbsp)

1 Tbsp fresh ground black pepper

1/2 cup fresh thyme leaves

Scrub well and quarter potatoes. Place in large saucepan, cover with water and cook until tender when pierced with a paring knife or fork. Drain and cool.

Combine mayonnaise and mustard. Chop onion, scallions and celery fine and add to mayonnaise mixture along with paprika, salt, pepper and thyme. Mix with cooked potatoes, tossing to coat evenly. Chill one hour. Eat.

Note: this salad came out well using Yukon Gold potatoes and green onions for the scallions. If summer is long enough to produce any jalapeño peppers, I plan to try a small one finely minced, added to this salad.

Summer fruits, locally grown are a bit delayed. Cool spring weather has slowed production locally and adverse weather conditions have damaged crops in other areas. Though citrus crops suffered some damage in late winter, lemons seem to be plentiful and even offered at sale prices of late. Get the most out of these flavorful gems by scrubbing well and grating the zest, the thin bright yellow part of the peel, then freezing for use in recipes, before squeezing the juice from the lemons. If you roll the lemon vigorously with the palm of your hand on the counter before squeezing it will release the juice easier. Some folks recommend microwaving the lemon for 20-30 seconds to release more juice. The average lemon will produce about 1/4 cup juice, that will keep 4-5 days refrigerated.

Citrus rinds are a great way to add nutrients for acid loving plants to the soil. Place the rinds in blender container and fill with cold water. Turn blender on high and blend until completely pulverized. Pour around your acid loving plants, rhubarb, asparagus, rhododendrons, blueberries and evergreen shrubs.

I recently tried a recipe for Lemon Curd Tassies that made it into my keeper file. This recipe appealed because you don’t have to roll out the dough, you don’t need a double boiler and you aren't required to strain the curd, meaning you won’t have to dirty every dish in the house to create these tasty bite size treats.

Lemon Curd Tassies

Dough:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp finely shredded lemon peel

1/2 cup cold butter (no substitutes)

1 egg yolk, beaten

2 Tbsp cold water

Curd:

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbsp cornstarch

2 tsp finely shredded lemon peel

1/2 cup lemon juice (2 lemons)

1/4 cup water

2 Tbsp butter (no substitutes)

3 egg yolks, beaten

For crust, stir together flour, 1/3 cup sugar and 2 tsp lemon peel in a medium mixing bowl. Cut in the 1/2 cup cold butter until mixture is crumbly. In a small bowl combine egg yolk and cold water. Gradually stir yolk mixture into flour mixture. Gently knead the dough just until a ball forms. Cover with plastic wrap and chill while you make curd, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, stir together 2/3 cup sugar and the cornstarch. Stir in 2 tsp lemon peel, lemon juice, 1/4 cup water and the 2 Tbsp butter. Cook and stir the mixture over medium heat, uncovered, until mixture is thickened and bubbly.

Slowly stir about half of the hot lemon mixture into the 3 beaten egg yolks. Return all of the egg mixture to the saucepan; stir to combine. Bring mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Cook and stir constantly for 2 minutes more. Transfer to a small bowl. Cover surface of lemon curd with plastic wrap; chill while you bake tassie pastry. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Divide chilled dough into 36 pieces. Press one piece onto bottom and up sides of 1 3/4 inch mini-muffin cups; repeat with remaining pieces. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden.

Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove tassies from pans. Spoon a rounded teaspoon of curd onto each tassie; cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 hours before serving. Makes 36 tassies. For fun color, garnish with purple viola pansy flowers.

Dough may be made ahead and frozen tightly wrapped for up to 1 month. Thaw for 24 hours before baking.

This recipe comes from the Better Homes and Gardens website and is one of a number of light summer dessert recipes available there.

Share your favorite recipes by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Odessa Record, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159 or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office. Nasturtiums planted among squash plants will attract more bees for pollination, increasing fruit set. The spicy blossoms are colorful and tasty in salads.