Summertime is picnic time and one of the most beautiful places to dine outdoors under the stars is The Hollywood Bowl. It wasn’t until 1952 that music lovers were finally allowed and encouraged to bring their own delicacies and beverages to enjoy with the performance, with prizes being offered for the most elegant and the most amusing dinner displays.

Today, picnicking at The Hollywood Bowl has become such a tradition that the Los Angeles Philharmonic Affiliates organized the publication last year of The Hollywood Bowl Cookbook: Picnics Under The Stars (www.frpbooks.com). The book offers 175 pages of culinary inspiration for filling your picnic basket even if you don’t have the luxury of a box at the famed Bowl.

In the appetizer category, try cocktail shrimp with MANGO chutney; a zesty Ratatouille of chopped EGGPLANT, ONION, RED BELL PEPPER, GARLIC, TOMATOES, olives, capers, ROSEMARY, THYME, red wine and balsamic vinegars and olive oil served on sourdough bread toasted rounds. Or try a SPINACH dip of finely chopped fresh SPINACH mixed with yogurt, mayonnaise, CILANTRO, GREEN ONIONS, minced ARTICHOKE bottoms, DILL, salt and pepper, served in a hollowed out head of RED CABBAGE. Or go with a VEGGIE dip or cottage cheese, mayonnaise, chopped GREEN ONIONS, PARSLEY, DILL, curry powder and salt served with CELERY, JICAMA, CARROTS, BROCCOLI, CAULIFLOWER and MUSHROOMS.

Chilled soups make great picnic basket fare. Try a Hollywood Bowl-inspired AVOCADO Bisque, chilled cream of CUCUMBER soup with curry; or a TOMATO, crab and AVOCADO Gazpacho. Singer Rosemary Clooney, a favorite Bowl performer, even contributed the recipe for her famous CORN Chowder chock full of ONION, CELERY, ORANGE and YELLOW BELL PEPPERS and CHILIES.

Dolores Hope’s Antipasto Salad is brimming with ICEBERG LETTUCE, olives, GARBANZO BEANS, salami, mozzarella cheese, ARTICHOKE hearts, Italian CHILIES, CELERY hearts, wine vinegar and olive oil. Henry "The Fonz" Winkler’s Mexican Salad is great vegetarian picnic fare, a blend of ROMAINE, shredded cheddar cheese, black olives, chopped TOMATOES, GREEN CHILIES, RED ONION and chopped AVOCADO in a green CHILI dressing.

Stuffed TOMATOES, GRAPELEAVES, WILD MUSHROOM quiche, BROCCOLI with PEANUT vinaigrette; pickled BRUSSELS SPROUTS and Marinated ARTICHOKE hearts with MUSHROOMS are additional easy make-ahead complements to your picnic basket entrees.

RED SEEDLESS GRAPES are among this week’s best FRUIT values, as the Chilean season winds down and California’s production gains steam.

CANTALOUPE MELON prices are also decreasing as volume improves. A delicious dessert treat is created when MELON ball scoops are served over BANANA ice cream.

Other good MELON values this week include both seeded and seedless WATERMELON, along with HONEYDEW.

TOMATOES are decreasing in price as summer gets underway and production increases.

California-grown STRAWBERRIES continue to be plentiful at moderate prices. The flavor marries well with RHUBARB or PINEAPPLE.

As production increases, prices are decreasing on PEACHES, PLUMS and NECTARINES.

California APRICOTS are in peak production now with only a few more weeks left to enjoy this early summer favorite.

BING CHERRIES are in steady supply at moderate prices, with RAINIER CHERRIES now available at premium prices due to light volume and heavy demand.

Best CITRUS FRUIT values include VALENCIA ORANGES for juicing (great for summer cocktails), along with LEMONS and LIMES (perfect for garnishing summer beverages).

PAPAYA from Mexico is an excellent value, with volume also coming from Brazil and Hawaii at more premium prices.

HASS AVOCADOS are in plentiful supply at economical prices.

BANANAS continue to be economically priced. Use ripe FRUIT blended with STRAWBERRIES, crushed ice, low-fat milk and tofu for a quick summer shake.

Fresh LYCHEE are in good supply and are a luscious addition to FRUIT cocktail salad.

GREEN BELL PEPPERS are among this week’s best VEGETABLE values. Core, fill with your favorite ground meat/TOMATO sauce mixture, wrap in foil and bake on the charcoal grill under tender.

SWEET WHITE CORN is also increasing in volume, making prices very reasonable.

LEAF LETTUCES such as BIBB and ROMAINE are plentiful for summer salads, with ICEBERG LETTUCE, GREEN CABBAGE, BELGIAN ENDIVE and SPINACH rounding out other good salad choices this week. Liven up salads by adding your favorite combination of GREEN ONIONS, ITALIAN RED ONIONS, SPROUTS, CARROTS, JICAMA, CELERY and MUSHROOMS, all in steady supply at moderate prices.

RUSSET POTATOES are economically priced and a delicious complement to grilled seafood and steaks. Simply score, add butter, wrap in foil and bake nestled right on hot charcoals until tender.

CUCUMBERS are plentiful and economically priced. They make an easy side dish sliced very thinly and tossed with sour cream dressing or vinaigrette, fresh HERBS and diced ONIONS.

In the ONION bin, WHITE BOILER ONIONS, ITALIAN RED ONIONS, sweet MAUI ONIONS and PEARL ONIONS are all in steady supply for summer menus. Store ONIONS in a cool, dry place during hot weather to prevent sprouting.

Volume is plentiful on fresh CHILIES from Mexico to use in marinades and salsas.

Soft-shell summer squash such as CHAYOTE and ZUCCHINI are in steady supply at moderate prices. New crop HARD SHELL SQUASH has begun production, with SWEET DUMPLING, GOLDEN NUGGET, DELICATA and BUTTERNUT among the first arrivals.

ASPARAGUS continues to be premium priced.

Brighten up your dining room with cut bouquets of DAISIES, MINIATURE CARNATIONS, STARGAZER LILIES and RED or YELLOW SUNFLOWERS, all in plentiful supply for arrangements this week. In potted plants, look for blooming CACTUS, MINIATURE ROSES, VIOLETS and ANTHURIUM. 

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