Summer Gatherings Casual Food to Enjoy with Family and Friends Zucchini and Radish Sauté Serves 4 to 6 Sautéed zucchini is a familiar side dish; sautéed radishes, not so. When cooked, radishes have a pleasant spiciness that perks up the zucchini. Fresh dill provides the final accent. If you have bright yellow zucchini, use it in tandem with the green variety for a very attractive dish. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 8 radishes, scrubbed and thinly sliced 2 medium zucchini, preferably 1 green and 1 golden, scrubbed and thinly sliced 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill Salt and freshly ground black pepper Instructions: Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the radishes and cook, stirring often, just until they are beginning to heat through, about 1 minute. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring often, until they are just tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the dill and the remaining tablespoon of butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot. Cantaloupe Ice Pops Makes 8 pops How many of us have memories of cooling off by eating ice pops on a hot summer afternoon? Of course, homemade pops made with fresh fruit are healthier than anything that I ever ate while sitting on our front porch. For the most flavorful pops, make these treats with the sweetest, ripest melon that is perhaps just a day away from having to be discarded. Ingredients: 1/2 ripe cantaloupe, peeled, seeds removed, cut into chunks 1/2 cup sugar Grated zest of 1 lime 11/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice Instructions: Puree the cantaloupe in a blender and measure: you should have 2 cups. Return the puree to the blender and process with 3/4 cup water, the sugar, and the lime zest and juice. Pour equal amounts into 8 ice-pop molds. Cover each mold with its lid and insert a wooden stick. Freeze until the pops are solid, at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove the pops from the molds and serve. Summer Gatherings Casual Food to Enjoy with Family and Friends . Copyright © by Rick Rodgers. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold. Excerpted from Summer Gatherings: Casual Food to Enjoy with Family and Friends by Rick Rodgers All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.