Now that floral chintz represents the changeover in our dinnerware set in the dining room, the extension of meals for hot weather has also undergone a change. More salads of one kind or another, for one thing. Lighter fare, as it were, to reflect the atmospheric heat no longer requiring good, solid hot meals to warm up our frozen selves.

There is an abundance of fresh fruits on the market. Take, for example, a delightful basket of fresh seasonal strawberries from our neighbour-province Quebec. The strawberries are at the height of their perfection, sweet and moist and firm and luscious. Their taste bears little resemblance to those we import all winter long from the U.S. and Mexico.

On the other hand, we're now getting ripe red cherries from Washington State and they're excellent. A nice change from grapes that we also eat on a regular basis, but anything can pall when they represent a steady diet.

We also, this week, have a case of Ataulfo mangoes grown in Mexico. We'll enjoy them throughout the week, alternating with the other fruits we have in abundance.

But I decided to sneak a baked dessert in there for a guilty pleasurable treat to cap Friday night's dinner. One of our favourite baked desserts is buttertarts. Starting off with unsalted butter and plenty of corn syrup to ensure the finished product remains slightly runny, I used one double-yolk egg, brown sugar, vanilla and poured the syrup over huge black Thomson raisins and whole pecans. Formidably delicious.

Just as well I baked only a half-dozen. Large ... tarts.