Editor’s Note: Asiago and the Accomplice (Whine & Cheese Cozy Mystery Series) by Judy Volhart is now available. Click here to order your copy.

Summer has finally arrived in my neck of the woods. Of course, it’s springtime, but around here, we go from winter to summer almost overnight, with very little actual springtime.

After many cold, bitter months of being cooped up indoors, this time of year is spent predominantly outside, either hiking, biking, swimming, going for long drives or sometimes all of the above in one day.

On days like this, I tend to eat light. When I’m hot and sweaty and after physical activity, the thought of a heavy meal turns my stomach. Nice cold liquids, on the other hand, are very appealing.

When I’m home in Ottawa these days, there’s seldom much chance to relax. If I’m not working, I’m busy catching up on chores or writing, before my return to Kingston for 2-4 days at a time. Today, I found myself with a few unexpected hours of downtime so I fixed a nice drink, light meal, grabbed my laptop and headed out onto my seldom-used back porch to languish in the heat.

My drink of choice on these warm days is what I’ve named a Black Raspberry; Raspberry flavored vodka mixed with diet Pepsi and tons of ice. Doesn’t it look refreshing? It’s my favorite, and hence, Amalia’s, in the Whine & Cheese series.

As I was dining alone today, I could get away with not cooking or making anything that took any effort. These are truly my favorite days, as I find I’ve become lazy when it comes to cooking. After doing it for 25 years, I don’t want to anymore.

I plucked a nice firm tomato from my fridge, an avocado which I merely smooshed up with some salt and garlic powder, some pre-cooked bacon and a container of Bocconcini cheese, already sliced into medallions because I was even too lazy to buy the unsliced variety. Hey, I work hard all week, between my real job and my writing, so I deserve some this newly acquired laziness.

On one slice of tomato, layer a bocconcini medallion, followed by some avocado (optional) and then bacon, as well as a few sprigs of your favorite herb.

I snipped some from my new little herb garden, the extent of my gardening this year.

Bocconcini is very popular amongst Italians, usually on tomato and sprinkled with some olive oil and basil or oregano. It’s extremely mild and creamy and to my surprise, when used in a hot dish, it melts and squeaks in a similar way to cheese curds. Between you and I, it’s also great on potato chips! If you’re a regular reader, you’ll come to realize that chips tend to sneak their way onto my plate frequently.

That was all for today; nothing fancy, just very low-key, light, and tasty. It doesn’t need a lot of effort to tantalize the taste buds at times.

Cheers, my friends
Judy

First the lovely cheese plates were served, with Apple wood Smoked Cheddar, a couple of balls of delectable Bocconcini, a slice of Gouda and some Blue Stilton, a nice variety ranging from mild to pungent. I had prepared these in advance and wrapped each plate in plastic wrap that we now quickly removed and we added a handful of fancy multigrain crackers to each and a sprinkling of grapes.

Nicole and I worked fast to keep up with the servers and finally once the main course was served, we had a few minutes to rest and to take a peek into the dining area while we had a quick nibble of cheese and watched.

The place was packed. The cast involved the audience in their story and had even planted some cast members as diners who would suddenly end up dead on their plates while sitting next to an actual paying customer.

“Tell me that is not your ex, Hans?” Nicole whispered frantically to me, pointing in his direction. I groaned in dismay. Why did he keep insisting on popping up all the time? I hated that he was in the bistro, eating my food. I squinted to see who he was with and ground my teeth even harder. He was with one of his friends that I never did like.

—Excerpt from Asiago and The Accomplice (Whine & Cheese Cozy Mystery Series)