Watermelon

Begin making these frozen treats at least one day before serving.

This light, spicy soup is delicious hot or chilled. The sautéed aromatics turn the broth a rich red-orange, more reminiscent of tomato than watermelon. See if your guests can guess the main ingredient. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 hr (3 hr if serving chilled)

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 45 min

The cool sweetness of this soup is a particularly good match for the tangy grilled chicken with mustard-dill sauce. Serve it with extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling.

Sugar cookies are the perfect accompaniment to this colorful finale.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A light and pretty treat with intense fruit flavors.

This salsa would also be great on chicken or pork.

Use red or yellow watermelon (or both) for this summery dessert, and pair it with the best store-bought brownies you can find.

Serve Champagne with this starter.

Popsicle molds are sold at some drugstores and department stores.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Here is an old southern favorite that is delicious as a condiment or great added to tuna, chicken and shrimp salads. Begin preparing the pickles at least three days before you plan to serve them.