One of my favorite dishes is also one of the easiest to grill, and it’s always a favorite with guests: grilled watermelon. If you’ve never grilled watermelon, or other fruit, over the grill, you don’t know what you’re missing. Grilling chars the sugars on the surface of the sliced fruit, caramelizing the sugars and lending the dish rich caramel notes. That, and it’s fun and entertaining to watch, particularly if you’re cooking for company.

One of my favorite slaws combines shredded daikon radish with thinly-sliced red onion and snow peas. The radish. Lightly sweet and with just a hint of bite, the mild radish is the perfect canvas for a variety of flavorings. In this recipe, I toss it with a simple sesame oil and rice wine vinegar dressing sweetened with a touch of sugar.

Lightly sweet, and with a tender texture and delicate crunch owing to all of the seeds in the center, figs work well in a variety of dishes both sweet and savory, from salads to tarts, gracing cheese platters or roasted alongside thick pork chops under a port wine glaze. One of my favorite dishes is a simple grilled salad combining the fruit with fennel and radicchio.

Have your drink and eat it to. That’s what I say, particularly during these hot summer days. If you’re looking for a fun project and are a margarita fan, give this popsicle recipe a spin.