Last week's Desperation Dinner's column:

It’s June and that means summer is here! Growing up in North Carolina, summer meant weeks at the coast, playing in the sun, swimming, sailing and fresh shrimp right at the docks every evening. Even though I don’t make it down to the coast for weeks on end like I did as a kid, I’m lucky enough to live only two hours from the coast and can go down easily for a weekend or even a day trip.

But you don’t have to live anywhere near a coastline to enjoy today’s recipe for summer’s ultimate appetizer-salad combination: Shrimp Cocktail Salad. Already cooked, EZ-peel shrimp, whole shrimp, tail on shrimp, already peeled and de-veined shrimp -- all of these abound year-round, even in land-locked groceries. Most supermarkets will even steam your shrimp for you while you shop.
So you can sample and savor this taste of summer, no matter where you are. And if you want to really get that “beachy” feel, get a little sand between your toes and put on the beach music in the background. In just 15 minutes, you’ll feel as if you are sitting on the boardwalk with your sweetie, tasting summer in a salad.