Have you gotten your barbecue grill and necessary cooking utensils out of winter storage yet? The Memorial Day holiday weekend provides even amateur cooks with a showcase for their creativity. Whether family members or guests enjoy grilled steaks, chicken or seafood at your holiday picnic, you can make the main course even more delicious with a variety of sauces and salsas for seasoning that feature fresh PRODUCE and HERBS.

HERB butters offer a delicious finishing touch to grilled steaks, especially filet mignon. Blend unsalted butter at room temperature with chopped fresh BASIL, MARJORAM, CHIVES, THYME and ROSEMARY, and then refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to blend.

Aioli is a classic French sauce that goes equally well with steak or poultry or use it as a sauce for grilled VEGETABLES. Blend GARLIC cloves (you can use ELEPHANT GARLIC) with salt, egg yolk, light olive oil, LEMON juice and hot water and beat with a wire whisk until smooth.

Guests will rave about grilled chicken breast when served with an Olive Sauce. Combine olive oil, chopped ONION, chopped PINE NUTS, minced GARLIC, chopped PARSLEY and olives, diced TOMATOES and red wine. Simmer for 5 to 6 minutes, adding red wine vinegar just before serving.

Salsa Verde makes a beautiful finishing touch to grilled salmon or trout. Combine finely chopped ITALIAN PARSLEY with minced GARLIC cloves, chopped capers, olive oil and LEMON juice. For a thicker sauce, blend in finely chopped WALNUTS.

Chicken or fish can be partnered with an AVOCADO salsa, a simple mixture of diced cooked TOMATILLOS, BROWN ONIONS, JALAPENO PEPPERS, and GARLIC blended with CILANTRO, LIME juice, salt and diced AVOCADO. To vary this recipe, add sour cream.

Offer picnic guests a sampling of different sauces. Among the best to complement the flavor of grilled beef include BELL PEPPER and ONION sauce, a CRIMINI MUSHROOM sauce or a WALNUT-BASIL sauce. Good accompaniments to chicken and fish are RHUBARB chutney, BLACKBERRY chutney or a tropical MANGO-PINEAPPLE salsa.

First of the season PEACHES and NECTARINES from California growers are now arriving at the market. Expect prices to steadily decrease as production gets fully underway. Keep a brown paper bag handy to hasten the ripening of TREEFRUIT.

APRICOTS are also available now, although the growing season is a short one. BURLAT CHERRIES have also arrived, with prices in the premium range at the start of the season.

The spring’s first crop of PERLETTE SEEDLESS GRAPES from California orchards is a good value this week.

Prices on CANTALOUPE MELON are decreasing as volume increases. HONEYDEW MELON, as well as seeded and seedless WATERMELON are also coming into peak production.

RUBY RED GRAPEFRUIT from California’s Coachella Valley is among this week’s best CITRUS FRUIT values.

MANGOES continue to be plentiful from Mexico and prices are steady at moderate levels.

California STRAWBERRIES are an excellent value. Remember to keep BERRIES unwashed and refrigerated until ready to serve. Other BERRIES increasing in volume include RASPBERRIES and BLACKBERRIES.

Volume is steady on KIWIFRUIT from New Zealand, with prices economical. Other New Zealand imports in good supply now include KIWANO MELONS, FEIJOAS, TAMARILLOS and PASSION FRUIT.

Volume is also steady on GALA and BRAEBURN APPLES from New Zealand, with RED DELICIOUS APPLES from Washington State all good values.

TOMATOES are in steady supply at moderate prices. Enjoy them stuffed with chicken or shrimp salad, or dice and toss with steamed SPINACH, chopped GARLIC, ONIONS, LEMON juice and olive oil for a tasty side dish.

RHUBARB is still in season. Cook with STRAWBERRIES and PEARS to make a delicious compote that is the perfect accompaniment to fried chicken.

BROCCOLI is plentiful and among this week’s best VEGETABLE values. GREEN BELL PEPPERS are plentiful and an excellent value. ZUCCHINI SQUASH is in steady supply at moderate prices.

RUSSET POTATOES are an excellent value. Wrap in foil and bake directly on hot charcoals until tender.

Both WHITE and YELLOW SWEET CORN is in steady supply with prices in the moderate range.

ICEBERG LETTUCE is this week’s best salad value. Other salad ingredients in good supply include SPINACH and RED LEAF LETTUCE. Other salad fixings in good supply include JICAMA, RADISHES, GREEN ONIONS, SHALLOTS, CUCUMBERS, MUSHROOMS and CHERRY TOMATOES.

ARTICHOKES continue to be in peak supply at very reasonable prices.

Fresh ASPARAGUS makes an easy warm-weather salad. Simply steam and serve with vinaigrette dressing or a classic LEMON hollandaise sauce.

GREEN BEANS and PEAS are two side dish choices now in steady supply.

Fresh BASIL is among the numerous fresh HERBS available for outdoor cooking.

Fresh CHILIES are in steady supply both from Mexican and California growers.

TOMATILLOS are plentiful. Resembling a green CHERRY TOMATO, it can be sliced uncooked into guacamole or salsa dips.

ITALIAN RED ONIONS are plentiful and great for grilling.

Best values in late spring cut blossoms include SUNFLOWERS, ALSTROMERIA LILIES, GERBERA DAISIES and TULIPS. In potted plants, look for MUMS, AZALEAS, MINIATURE ROSES and DAISIES.

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