Summer picnics call for light dishes.

These recipes appeared in the Herald-Leader in the early 1980s.

Summer pasta salad
8 ounces rotini
2 hard-cooked eggs
1 cup chopped celery
1 small yellow squash, shredded
1 small zucchini, shredded
1 medium carrot, grated
1 cup green pepper, cut into 1-inch strips
1 cup broccoli tips (blanched for 1 minute in boiling water and drained)
2 tablespoons pickle relish
3⁄4 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook rotini according to package directions. Drain thoroughly and rinse with cold water. Add all other ingredients with enough mayonnaise to bind the ingredients together. Chill. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Asparagus vinaigrette
2 pounds thin asparagus
2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

Trim asparagus and cut into 3- to 4-inch pieces. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the asparagus until tender but still bright green, about 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Drain well and set aside.
In a pint jar, add vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Shake well.
In a large bowl, combine the asparagus with the vinaigrette dressing, being sure to cover the asparagus completely. Chill for several hours to let the flavors develop before serving. Makes 4 servings.

Florentine lemon cream
1 cup cream
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
Juice of 3 or 4 lemons
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
Heat cream and milk until small bubbles appear. Add sugar, and stir until dissolved. Cool. Pour into an ice cream maker. Immediately add lemon juice and rind. Freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Summer salad
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
6 new potatoes, washed and scrubbed
1 pound asparagus
1 red bell pepper, sliced
Black olives
Garbanzo beans
1⁄4 cup salad oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Steam vegetables, but leave them crunchy. Mix salad oil, vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and pour over vegetables. Marinate overnight.