What I'm eating right now.

Now that spring has sprung, my thoughts turn to food. (Don't tell me you're surprised.) I strongly believe that spring and summer are the best times to eat in the South. The farmer's markets open back up, and they are filled with fresh, local produce. As the summer stretches on, it only gets better.

Plus, with the temperatures getting hotter, one craves lighter fare, making all-day grazing or heavy appetizers a fine replacement for the heavy meals of autumn and winter. It opens up all kinds of new meal-lets.

Here's what's on my plate:

Watermelon (TONS of it)

Asparagus with ranch dressing

My go-to summer salad: halved cherry tomatoes mixed with chopped cucumbers and real mayo (Lots of salt and pepper, eat with crackers)

Those tiny new potatoes, halved and boiled, the drained and dressed with a bit of butter, olive oil, and chopped fresh herbs of choice

Strawberries (This time of year, I love whole wheat toaster waffles topped with light vanilla yogurt and chopped strawberries for breakfast. With a cup of coffee, there is nothing better for a quick weekday breakfast that'll make you feel like you slept in.)

Tomato sandwiches - thin slices of swiss cheese on white bread, slices of ripe tomato, real mayo, and a few spinach or basil leaves. This sounds so simple, but you will think you've died and gone to heaven.

Once the figs are ripe (I'm counting the days.), I love figs stuffed with ricotta, sprinkled with chopped pistachios, and drizzled with honey. OMG.

I intersperse foods like these liberally with smoked almonds (YUM.), whole wheat pita chips, and low-fat cheeses.

I could go on, but the fridge is calling. Happy eating!