Lemon

2 apples 2 pears 1 pint blueberries 2 nectarines 2 peaches 1/4 to 1/3 cantaloupe or honeydew melon Juice and zest from one lemon   1. Wash tree fruit and berries; peel peaches and pears. 2. Cut fruit (except berries) into small pieces about ½ to ¾ inch long and combine in a bowl. 3. Add lemon zest and mix thoroughly. Add lemon juice so its acidity is balanced with the natural sweetness of the fruit. From the kitchen of Giuliana and Bob Pierson Per serving: 110 calories, 1 grams protein, 28 grams carbohydrates, 20 grams sugar, trace fat, no cholesterol, 2 milligrams sodium, 5 grams dietary fiber.

Microwaveable desserts are rarely delicious, but Tracy Claros' English Lemon Pudding tastes like homemade. A true Brit who lives and bakes in Austin, Texas, now, Claros makes a light, moist lemon cake topped with tart lemon sauce. It took gold at New York's Fancy Food Show. All grape, all the time? Americans buy 74 million jars of grape jelly a year. So, if PB&J is a constant in your youngster's lunch box, check out the new Bonne Maman French grape jelly. No corn syrup, artificial dyes, or preservatives, so the pure fruit flavor of the Muscat grape stands out.  

This punch, by Phoebe Esmon at The Farmers' Cabinet, calls for local gin and absinthe from Philadelphia Distillers. Says Esmon, "Remember, punch isn't just an easier way to binge-drink. It's designed to sit on ice, instead of being shaken, where it can slowly dilute. " THE CONTRARIAN 6 ounces Bluecoat gin 3 ounces lemon juice, fresh squeezed 2 1/2 ounces simple syrup 1 ounce Vieux Carre Absinthe 16 dashes Peychaud's bitters 6 ounces club soda or sparkling mineral water Ice Lemon wheels In a punch bowl, add the gin, absinthe, simple syrup, lemon juice, bitters, and club soda and stir well.

Our love affair with domestic seafood isn't satiated by Gulf catches alone. Try this Greek-inspired dish made with swordfish caught off Rhode Island. GRILLED BLOCK ISLAND SWORDFISH 4 8- to 9-ounce swordfish steaks 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, preferably Greek 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons fresh oregano 1 tablespoon fresh dill 1 tablespoon fresh thyme Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste Heat grill. Whisk oil with other ingredients, except for fish, salt and pepper.

A chiffonade of basil leaves. A shower of Parmigiano-Reggiano. A squeeze of lemon. All of these things are happening, at a chain restaurant. Seriously, a chain! Sweetgreen, the D.C.-based quick-serve eatery, has recently opened two area locations, with more on the way. What separates Sweetgreen from the other tossed salad spots is a true dedication to freshness. So the Santorini salad, which comes with roasted shrimp, feta and chickpeas, is flipped with just cut mint and lemon juice, from an actual lemon.

Change of plans? Need a special last-minute meal? Here's a holiday-worthy dinner for one or two or a few that goes from fridge to table in less than an hour. Bake a pan of homemade or mix dressing on the side at the same time. Ditto baked yams and apples. Slip in a store-bought pie to warm on residual heat while you dine. Halve or double the recipe for one or four as needed. Cornish Game Hens With Lemon Pepper and Garlic (Makes 2 servings) 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

There are some foods that improve with time. Seafood salad is not one of them. Leave this favorite summertime dish in the fridge too long, and you'll wind up with a soggy, flavorless, cold soup. Sample the mixture after it's been sitting out in a warm room, and you might experience digestive discomfort. To avoid these unwanted outcomes, serve seafood salad immediately after preparing it, while the shrimp, crab and mayonnaise are still slightly cool. Chef Tom Harkins of Circa restaurant (1518 Walnut St.)

Good advice for Valentine's Day: Keep your love alive! That means no artery-clogging, blood-sugar-raising, hypertension-inducing meals. By avoiding excess fat, sugar and salt, our Slim Gourmet Valentine Treats cost fewer calories . . . no "love handles" as the price to pay! HEARTY STUFFED SOLE 2 pounds fillet of sole 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots 1/2 cup chopped onion 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 4 1/2 cups homemade croutons (see note) 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme Optional: lemon pepper to taste 2 tablespoons dry white wine (or lemon juice)

  After three years, a crippling recession, and an armed robbery, Under the Oak Cafe in East Oak Lane is more than enduring - it is expanding, with Saturday morning cooking classes, Friday night gourmet dinners, and a newly hired, French-trained chef. The cafe, opened in 2008 by the husband-and-wife team of Robert and Kelly McShain Tyree, plus Kelly's brother, Devitt McShain, sits on an isolated street with almost no foot traffic. "It was definitely a risk. People told us we were crazy to open here," says Kelly Tyree, who was raised in East Oak Lane and lives there still.

Three virtues of chicken breasts: They can be prepared quickly, they are compatible with numerous flavor combinations and, when skinless, they are virtually fat-free. Because chicken marries so well with most ingredients, it can be prepared several times a week and yield distinctly different dishes. Varying the foods that accompany chicken also can help set each meal apart. For a quick dinner with Middle Eastern overtones, chicken in a lemon-caper sauce can be prepared in about 20 minutes.