Though it’s a very simple dish to make, bruschetta has managed to pique our curiosity. After a little research, we’ve discovered a fascinating recipe, whose origins go far beyond the simple mixture of tomatoes and oil served on crostini. At last, this is the true, genuine bruschetta.

This summer, have a local drink with this cucumber, tarragon and jalapeño mocktail, stretched with a locally made cucumber tonic water. Between the anise flavour of the fresh herbs and the light bitterness of the tonic, this booze-free cocktail is perfection indeed. Here’s a recipe that spices up the breaks from swimming by the poolside.

Calculate about 6 oysters per person as an appetizer. If serving oysters as a main course, plan on 1 dozen per person. If your guests are oyster connoisseurs, you can go up to 15 per person. Serve the oysters with lemon wedges, spicy sauces and mignonettes.

This traditional summer pasta salad uses short pasta and is inspired by a classic of Spanish cuisine, romesco sauce. Made with roasted red bell peppers and almonds, it’s fresh and velvety and always a big hit. Combine fusilli pasta with diced chorizo and fresh parsley. This is a dish that’s just spicy enough and ideal for a picnic under the trees.

This Mediterranean dish can be adapted to what’s available in your pantry. Canned tuna and anchovies give character to this sauce that will titillate your senses. With added garlic, sunny cherry tomatoes, fresh parsley and toasted breadcrumbs, it’s a true flavour bomb. This is the perfect dish to serve when friends stay for dinner after an afternoon in the pool.

Green is the word for this orecchiette dish coated in a bright green sauce made with peas, fresh mint and blanched spinach mashed into a smooth sauce with lemon and garlic. Top the dish with labneh, a type of fresh white cheese that brings harmony to the plate, and homemade pancetta chips, for just the right touch of saltiness. This recipe is ready in no time after a day spent hiking in the wilderness.

Celebrate summer’s emblematic Quebec corn (it’s so sweet!) in a spaghettoni dish served carbonara-style, but in a reinvented version of the Italian classic. You’ll find a good quantity of the yellow kernels in this creamy sauce made with eggs, bacon and Parmesan, topped with a generous sprinkling of pepper. It tastes of the last days of summer and corn roasts.

From May to August, there’s no way you’re serving pasta with a heavy meat sauce. Fresh and light is more appropriate. This lemon and cream pasta dish includes a generous portion of Nordic shrimp, served tempered to preserve their delightful texture. A sprinkling of dill tops it all off for a dish that evokes a vacation by the sea.

Peaches, raspberry coulis and ice cream form the basis of traditional Peach Melba. This French recipe was created by legendary chef Auguste Escoffier, in honour of opera singer Nellie Melba, at the end of the 19th century. In our version, we’re roasting the peaches in the oven and serving it with honey caramelized whipped cream to enhance the flavours. Served in a champagne glass, this dessert looks like a fancy sundae.

These fresh salmon patties get a boost from grilled peppers, barbecue sauce, lemon and breadcrumbs that help bind all the ingredients together. Simple toppings, such as arugula and roasted red peppers, suffice to enhance these summery burgers. At RICARDO, we love them so much that we even offer the patties in a ready-to-cook version available at IGA stores.