Main course salad

Using Hollandia Produce's Live Gourmet Butter Lettuce, Chef Fred Ordutta at Sly's Seafood in Carpinteria created the delicious Fredy's Salad, pictured above, that's a refreshing and delicious meal all on its own.

�On-deev�

Rich Collins of California Endive and many others in the food world (including yours truly) are enthusiastic about this versatile member of the chicory family. Watch a video about How Endives Are Grown and prepare to be amazed.

While you're watching, it would be appropriate to be enjoying Endive and Watercress Salad with Apples and Walnuts, above.

A Savor California Salad

Chef Julia Conway has used a number of products from Savor California, including her Stella Cadente Olive Oil Blood Orange Olive Oil, to create a lovely summer salad: Mixed Greens with Berry Balsamic and Blue Cheese (above).

Another salad that uses Spindel Farms' Pomegranate Vinegar is Pomegranate Gorgonzola Salad.

Vinaigrettes

Let a fine olive oil shine in a classic vinaigrette for Arugula Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette, made with McEvoy Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

A new take on classic vinaigrette can be made with the use of different vinegars, such as Lemongrass Vinaigrette, made with Auntie Si's Lemongrass Vinegar.

Use Verjus from Terra Sonoma instead of your usual vinegar to make Verjus Vinaigrette. Other uses for verjus include splashing over fruit, in place of water for steaming vegetables or light white fish, and for deglazing pans.

Updated cole slaw

Bellindora Vinegars' Apple Balsamic Vinegar puts a new twist on cole slaw for colorful Carrot Pineapple Slaw (above).

Cherry time

It�s cherry time at C. J. Olson Cherries. Bing and Rainier Cherries can be purchased at their historic Sunnyvale farmstand, online from their website, or at their shops in any of the SF Bay Area�s airports.

Eat them fresh or make one of their delicious dessert recipes, including Cherry Pie (above) or Cherry Claufouti.

Portable gourmet sweetners

Sonoma Syrup Co. makes it easy to take their artisan syrups along for a picnic, on a hike or a boat trip, or to the office.

Use their portable Syrup Sticks (above) to sweeten a beverage, drizzle over cheese, ice cream or yogurt.

Savory and sweet

In Western Marin County (Pt. Reyes Station) or Southern Sonoma County (Petaluma) stop in at one of Bovine Bakery's shops for one of their delicious savory or sweet specialties to enjoy al fresco.

For instance, make a meal out of a Savory Bun (above), or a Sticky Bun (below).

Palette of oils and vinegars

La Tourangelle's family of nut and other oils gives the cook a wide variety of options for cooking, baking, and of course salads, including Mixed Greens with Strawberries and Candied Walnuts, left.

Greens with Apple and Blue Cheese uses Sparrow Lane�s Walnut Champagne Vinegar, just one of their many wine and fruits vinegars (a few shown at right). Or try Tarragon Mayonnaise, using their Tarragon Champagne Vinegar.

Not your Mama's ice cream

You can either consider this Granola-Banana Sundae (above) a fabulous way to start your day or to finish your day. It's made with Ginger-Pecan Granola from Oat Cuisine and banana ice cream.

Literally spice up your ice cream with a wedge of Butterfly Brittle's Spicy Pecan Brittle, above.

For a dessert that tastes cold, sweet and spicy all at once, swirl together chocolate sauce and Crazzberry Fiesta Sauce from Art of Chipotle and drizzle on vanilla ice cream.

Grill a slice of pineapple, top with Banana Cinnamon Ice Cream from Rumba Desserts, and drizzle with a rum-brown sugar syrup for Grilled Pineapple with Banana Cinnamon Ice Cream.

Fudge, especially warmed up, is the classic topping for ice cream. Fudge is my Life Chocolate Sauces are simply superb: Dark (shown above), Orange, Mocha, Mint, and Ginger.

To make the Fig Sundae, above, layer cut up dried figs from Valley Fig Growers with ice cream in a parfait glass, and drizzle with caramel sauce.

For a different fruit-and-ice cream idea, heat Bellindora Vinegars's Apple Balsamic Vinegar until it is reduced by half. Pour it over vanilla ice cream and top with raspberries.