By Helene Dujardin of Tartelette

There is a general consensus among cooks that summers are far too important to be spent in the kitchen cooking and baking for family and friends. Vacation, kids off school, people coming out of thier winter cloacks to visit and party with you.

The abundance of fresh seasonal produce is bursting all around us, begging to be chopped, mix and devoured just as it is or with minimum preparation. I don't mind being stuck inside preparing get togethers during the long winter days but when summer rolls around I want to be outside, chilling with my friends around plenty of small bites, refreshing drinks while we fire up the grill. During winter, it seems that people hoover around the main course as if they had to bump up their food reserve before the cold whereas in the summer they tend to go for small bites and colorful drinks. If you are tired of the old (but good) salsa and chips, the following appetizers may be the ticket. Easy to prepare and bursting with flavors! Less time in the kitchen and more time to work on those vitamin D levels!

I have hard chore salsa loving friends! They are all about the crunching, the scooping and they take
their salsa making and eating very seriously, constantly debating whether it should contain beans. I think I have found the solution! Why not bring Pithy and Cleaver's fresh
tomato salsa as well as Two Peas And A Pod's very own Maria's Black Bean Salsa?

If your family or guests are more on the smooth side of things, dips are a great alternative. Some people dunk and some people carefully spread. Either way, make sure
you have plenty of cut up veggies and sliced baguettes or crackers to go along. I can't recommend highly enough this artichoke dip from Heidi at 101 Cookbooks. It is a staple at any gathering we have and there are people hiding the last scoop just for themselves! Another tentalizing dip I am eyeing for an upcoming party is this Caramelized Onion and White Bean dip from Lorelei's Tiny Kitchen. She had me at caramelized onions! On the other hand, if you or your guest
feel like taking a walk on the wild side, why not try this California Plum and Leek Dip that Jennifer from Palate to Pen pairs with crispy blanched haricot verts?

If it's a cold and refreshing salad that usually wets your appetite, you will love this Hot As Hell Cucumber Salad from Michelle at Thursday Night Smackdown. One surprising summer salad that we tried this year and fell in love with was this Blueberry
Peach Fruit Salad with Thyme created by Garrett McCord for Simply Recipes. I am not one to mix sweet and savory but the addition of thyme and ginger makes this a pleasant palate cleanser before the main course.

Next time you get ready to turn on the grill or the oven, make sure you have a plate of Jen's Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus ready
to be fired up. Healthy, salty and crunchy all in one bite. Not to mention extremely easy to put together with your guests as you sip a refreshing drink. If garlic does not scare you off, be sure to check Sara's Garlic Stuffed Mushrooms on her blog, Ms. Adventures in Italy. Even dessert orientated bloggers can't live on sugar alone but it most often ends up in something baked like these Mini Crabcakes with Cilantro-Lime Aioli prepared by Alejandra from Always Order Dessert.

Want more ideas for easy appetizers? You can find over 40,000 of them on the FoodieView Recipe Search Engine.

Helene Dujardin is a classically trained pastry chef working for various individuals, restaurants and caterers in South Carolina where she moved 12 years ago. She also teaching Pilates on her free time and is currently writing her first pastry cookbook. Her blog, Tartelette, showcases a mix of plated and more casual desserts and pastry reflecting what she creates for patrons and friends.

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 26th, 2009 at 10:18 pm and is filed under Recipe Roundup. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.