Growing your own vegetables is so hot right now. Seriously, who doesn’t like homegrown tomatoes literally bursting with an earthy alchemy of solar energy, dark soil and clean water? Add some fresh basil leaves and cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil, and you’ll think you’re in heaven, or at least Tuscany.

Besides my obsessive fly-fishing habit, one of my favorite things to do is plan a special meal for friends. Many years ago, I would have gone to the butcher and picked out great steaks or roasts, or the fish market and chose a wonderful salmon filet from Alaska. But in my striving to eat healthier and watch my weight, I currently use a different way of planning meals. I pick the seasonal vegetable and fruit first, and then complement them with meat or fish.

If I have a dinner party, I typically start by heading out to my garden or the farmers’ market. I look for what’s fresh and in-season. A typical Northwest forage could leave me with baby summer squash with the flower blossoms still attached, Thai basil, fresh lavender, new Danish potatoes, Yakima peaches and wild blueberries. From this bounty, I could create this menu:

• Flower blossoms stuffed with figs and goat cheese as an appetizer paired with a nice glass of dry Champagne
• Danish potatoes roasted with olive oil and garlic
• Halibut with Thai basil pesto paired with Pinot Gris
• Lavender biscuits with peaches, whipped cream and wild blueberries for dessert