Hot diggity dog – who’s hungry for hot dogs? July celebrates National Hot Dog Month (www.hot-dog.org), honoring the meat sausage that is served more than seven billion times in America between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The tasty grilled sausage served on a roll got its name at a 1901 New York baseball game.

Although mustard is the hands-down favorite condiment topping across America, New Yorkers prefer their franks accompanied by steamed ONIONS, while Chicagoans opt for relish, ONIONS and TOMATO slices additions.

For a Provencal style dog worthy of the French Riviera, top your grilled sausage with bacon, ONIONS, GARLIC and TOMATOES. For a hot dog with Latin flavor, top your dog with GREEN PEPPERS, JALAPENOS and ONIONS.

Hot dogs never get boring when you vary the toppings. Try an APPLE salsa, blending diced GRANNY SMITHS with LIME juice, ONIONS, JALAPENO PEPPERS, GINGER and CILANTRO.

CHERRY CHUTNEY, a mixture of chopped BING CHERRIES, MINT, YELLOW BELL PEPPERS, ITALIAN RED ONIONS, LIME juice and JALAPENO PEPPERS adds color and pizzazz to your hot-off-the-grill doggie.

Cook white or yellow SWEET CORN kernels with diced ripe TOMATOES, ONIONS, BASIL, olive oil and vinegar to create a New England-style CORN relish hot dog topping.

Brown mustard and sauerkraut, or an ONION marmalade using sweet MAUI ONIONS will give your hot dog flavor and character.

Hot dog enjoyment doesn’t have to be limited to nestling this meaty sausage in a bun. Cut dogs into one-inch pieces and stir-fry with BROCCOLI, CARROTS and ONIONS.

Blend hot dog pieces into pancake batter with finely chopped GREEN ONIONS for a savory rather than sweet pancake that’s perfect for summer brunch.

Hot dogs also make delicious kabob sticks for the BBQ grill. Spear pieces with GREEN BELL PEPPER chunks, ONIONS, fresh PINEAPPLE and brush with sweet and sour sauce prior to grilling. Serve over a bed of cooked rice.

PINEAPPLES are among this week’s best FRUIT values. Slice and grill as a side dish to BBQ meats or cut into chunks and add to chicken or shrimp salad.

Seedless WATERMELON is plentiful at very reasonable prices.

Prices are decreasing on YELLOW and WHITE NECTARINES as volume improves.

Other summer TREEFRUITS in steady supply include PEACHES, PLUMS, APRICOTS and PLUOTS.

CHERRY prices are decreasing thanks to the influx of new crop CHERRIES from Washington State. High in anti-oxidants, CHERRIES are a delicious addition to salads, can be enjoyed as an out-of-hand snack or cooked with sugar and wine to create a delicious sauce for pudding or pound cake.

Best values in the CITRUS FRUIT bin are PINK GRAPEFRUIT and VALENCIA ORANGES, both from California growers.

Keep plenty of LIMES and LEMONS on hand throughout the summer for beverage garnish as well as refreshing home-made LIMEADE and LEMONADE. To get more juice from whole FRUIT, place in the microwave for 10 seconds prior to juicing.

Smaller sizes of HASS AVOCADOS are in plentiful supply at very reasonable prices.

New crop RED FLAME SEEDLESS and THOMPSON GREEN SEEDLESS GRAPES are gradually decreasing in price as production improves.

California-grown STRAWBERRIES continue to be an excellent value; slice atop shortcake and garnish with whipped cream.

Other good BERRY choices include BLUEBERRIES, RASPBERRIES and BLACKBERRIES, all of which need steady refrigeration to prevent deterioration.

KIWIFRUIT is plentiful at very reasonable prices. Enjoy in tropical FRUIT salads paired with MANGO, PAPAYA and PASSIONFRUIT.

Fresh FIGS are a summer favorite in steady supply.

TOMATOES are holding steady at reasonable prices. Remember to ripen this FRUIT at room temperature and only refrigerate once fully ripened.

SWEET WHITE CORN is in peak production and among the most economical VEGETABLE choices this week.

There are plenty of economical choices for summer salads, ranging from ICEBERG LETTUCE and ROMAINE to SPINACH, GREEN CABBAGE, RED LEAF and GREEN LEAF LETTUCES.

Salad fixings in steady supply include CARROTS, CELERY, SPROUTS, RADISHES, GREEN ONIONS, fresh HERBS and JICAMA.

Both BROCCOLI and CAULIFLOWER are in plentiful supply, with prices decreasing. Enjoy florets of both raw with DILL sour cream dip or BASIL pesto.

PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS are a great vegetarian option for the grill. Brush with olive oil, grill until tender, then serve in hamburger buns in place of meat.

GARLIC is an excellent value this week. Use it to add flavor to summer salad dressing or roast as a spread for bread. Also look for GARLIC SCAPES, tender green GARLIC tops that can be steamed or added to salads.

Fresh CHILI PEPPERS are very reasonably priced. Remove the seeds to lessen the heat.

Plenty of good choices in the ONION category, including SWEET BROWN ONIONS, VIDALIA ONIONS, ITALIAN RED ONIONS, PEARL ONIONS and MAUI ONIONS.

CUCUMBERS are increasing in volume as prices decrease. Slice very thinly and toss with chopped ONIONS, MINT and sour cream for a tasty side dish.

WHITE and RED ROSE POTATOES continue to be an excellent value for POTATO salads, with RUSSETS very economically priced by the pre-packaged bag and perfect for roasting over charcoal.

MINIATURE ROSES, AFRICAN VIOLETS, BROMELIADS and KALANCHOE are among the best choices in blooming potted plants for decorating patios and lanais this summer. In cut arrangements, CARNATIONS, ROSES, IRIS, SUNFLOWERS, GLADIOLUS, DAISIES, LILIES and MUMS can be mixed and matched to create dramatic arrangements.

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