The taste of summer

Satisfy your summer cravings with some perfect summertime dishes courtesy of QVC's resident foodie and best-selling cookbook author David Venable. These yummy salads, soups, entrees and desserts scream summer.

Savory Watermelon Salad

Serves 6-8

6 cups seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 English cucumber, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

¾cup red onion, thinly sliced

¾cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved

8 ounces feta cheese, cut into½-inch cubes

1 tablespoon fresh summer savory (or substitute thyme or basil), chopped

½cup white balsamic vinegar

¼cup extra-virgin olive oil

1½teaspoon salt

½teaspoon black pepper

Toss all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Serve immediately.

Chilled Asparagus Soup

Serves 6-8

2 pounds asparagus, trimmed

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

2 cups leeks, cleaned and chopped

6 cups chicken stock

¼pound baby spinach

1 tablespoon chives, chopped

Zest of 1 lemon

1 cup heavy cream, divided

2½teaspoon salt

½teaspoon black pepper

6 ounces goat cheese, room temperature

¼cup milk

4 ounces thin-sliced prosciutto, julienne

Remove the tips from the asparagus, put in a mixing bowl, and set aside.

In a stockpot, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until lightly browned. Place in the leeks and cook until they begin to soften, then add the asparagus and cook for a couple of minutes. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until the asparagus is soft. Remove the stockpot from the heat and stir in the spinach, chives, and lemon zest.

In batches, being careful of the hot liquid, purée the soup in a blender until smooth and place in a storage container. When all of the soup is puréed, stir in ½ cup heavy cream, salt, and pepper. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

Bring a small saucepot of water to boil. Add the reserved asparagus tips and cook until tender, while still maintaining their bright green color. Remove asparagus from the boiling water and immediately place them into an ice bath.

In a medium mixing bowl, add the goat cheese, remaining heavy cream, and milk. Using a wire whisk, stir the cheese mixture until smooth.

Heat the remaining oil in a medium-size skillet. Add the prosciutto and sauté until crisp. Drain on a paper towel.

When ready to serve, ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle the top with the cheese mixture, and top with a few asparagus tips and crispy prosciutto pieces.

Country Seafood Boil

Serves 4-6

½tablespoon smoked paprika

½tablespoon paprika

½teaspoon celery salt

½teaspoon garlic powder

½teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt

½teaspoon dried thyme

½teaspoon ground cumin

½teaspoon chipotle chili powder

½cup chicken stock

12 ounces beer

1 pound baby potatoes

1 large onion, peeled and large dice

2 links andouille sausage, cooked and sliced into 1-inch rounds

2 pounds little neck clams

1 pound medium shrimp

2 lobster tails, split

2 ears corn, shucked and cut into 8 rounds

In a mixing bowl, combine the smoked paprika, paprika, celery salt, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, thyme, cumin, and chipotle chili powder. Set aside.

Put the chicken stock, beer, potatoes, onion, and sausage into a large stockpot. Cover and steam on medium heat until the potatoes are not quite fork tender, about 10-15 minutes.

While the potatoes are steaming, toss the clams, shrimp, lobster, and corn with the pre-mixed spices in a large mixing bowl.

When the potatoes are cooked accordingly to the directions above, add the seafood medley and the corn to the stockpot. Cover and steam for about 10 minutes. Stir and steam for another 5-10 minutes, or until the seafood is cooked through.

No-Bake Piña Colada Pie

Serves 8-10

1 pound cream cheese, room temperature

1½cups confectioners' sugar

1¼cups coconut milk

2 teaspoon rum extract

½cup pineapple juice

1 cup crushed pineapple

1 (3.4-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding

1 (6-ounce) pre-made graham cracker crust

1½cups whipped topping

½cup sweetened shredded coconut

13 maraschino cherries with stems

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until there are no lumps. Add the coconut milk, rum extract, pineapple juice, crushed pineapple, and pudding. Mix together until smooth.

Spread the filling into the graham cracker crust. Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 3-4 hours.

Once chilled, spread the whipped topping over the filling and sprinkle the coconut overtop. Place 1 cherry in the middle of the pie and place the rest around the edge.

Tune in to "In the Kitchen with David" on QVC Wednesdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at noon and visit QVC.com/ITKWD for Venable's recipes and blog posts.