I could pretend that I am practicing what Patrick Kingsley calls The art of slow reading (Guardian, July 15) regarding Simple Fresh Southern (Clarkson Potter) by The Lee Bros published in November 09.

What happened is I received the book in December and I was keen on interviewing them.

It did not pan out and Simple Fresh Southern sat on my shelf waiting for the right moment.

With the sticky July weather, it was time to revisit it and pick a few summer recipes and drinks.

Start by toasting the day with Watermelon Margaritas (page 30) then move on to the food.

They call the Field Pea Salad with Gingered Beets & Lemon ( page 139) "an indulgence of high summer when farmers markets throughout the South are brimming with bags of shelled peas."

As a side dish, I would definitely enjoy the Skillet Green Beans with Orange (Page 148). Green beans will need to be cooked until half blistered and blackened (about 8 minutes), orange slices, seasoned with salt, black pepper, champagne or rice vinegar and orange zest as finishing touch.

Would Ginger Lemonade (page 33) work as a side-kick for White Gazpacho Soup (page 111)?

Another dish that sounds refreshing is the Squid with Watermelon and Basil (page 89).

What would a party, a dinner be without desserts and more Southern than a Mint Julep Panna Cotta (page 245) or even more the Cornmeal Drop Biscuit Peach Cobbler (page 217).

Will kids go for Rice Pudding Pops (page 237)?

If I needed another reason to belatedly write about Simple Fresh Southern, I could mention that they just received in July the Cooking Award from Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA).

Food with Southern flavors on a hot summer day!