Having a short attention span for ready-made condiments and being fanatical about ingredients mean that I spend much time during the summer preparing dressings, marinades, and sauces. With some new diversions pending this year, I have designed four kitchen building blocks to capitalize on the season's bounty and springboard me into a wide range of fast sauces and condiments. My game plan for a long summer of good eating and easy living is to have these four bases on hand: a salsa/vinaigrette/marinade base; a sweet/sour tamarind-and-date sauce; a creamy dip and sauce builder; and a sweet sauce base.

FOR THE SALSA/VINAIGRETTE/MARINADE

Mix together two finely chopped shallots, one clove of minced garlic, one tablespoon chopped thyme and/or rosemary, salt, pepper, a pinch each of chili flakes and sugar, and one cup good-quality rice, apple-cider, or wine vinegar. Refrigerate for up to a month.

For the salsa, add two teaspoons of the base to a cup of finely diced fruit or vegetables (peaches, plums, tomatoes, corn) with fresh chili and basil, cilantro, or chives if you like. Serve with grilled fish, chicken, or tofu, or with chips or crackers.

For salad for four: shake two tablespoons of the base with a half-teaspoon Dijon mustard and four tablespoons fine olive oil; if you like, add citrus zest and/or fresh herbs. For Asian flair, use three tablespoons of the base, one teaspoon peanut butter, one teaspoon toasted-sesame oil, and four tablespoons vegetable oil.

To marinate chicken, tofu, fish, or vegetables: four tablespoons of the base, a half-cup orange juice, two tablespoons olive oil, and one teaspoon ground coriander. Or purée one cup fresh raspberries with four tablespoons of the base.

FOR THE SWEET/SOUR SAUCE

Make one of the most perfect sweet/sour juxtapositions I know. Break a block of tamarind into pieces and soak in a bowl of warm water for half an hour. Strain the resulting brown slurry through a coarse sieve, using a ladle to press through as much pulp as possible. Simmer the pulp with 10 pitted Medjool dates, one chopped onion, two cloves of chopped garlic, salt, and pepper. Purée in a blender or food processor with water as needed, and refrigerate. It will keep at least one month.

Give a South Asian twist to dressings and marinades: stir three tablespoons into a half-cup of mayonnaise to dip oven fries or toss with freshly cooked nugget potatoes.

Thin with fruit juice and use as a sweet-smoky finishing glaze during the last few minutes of barbecuing chicken, pork, fish, tofu, or vegetables.

FOR THE CREAMY DIP

Mix one cup best-quality commercial mayonnaise, one cup sour cream, one finely chopped shallot, salt, pepper, one half-teaspoon hot smoked paprika, the juice of half a lemon, and one half-cup chopped mixed fresh herbs (any of parsley, basil, chives, marjoram, and oregano). Store in the fridge until the best-before date on your sour cream.

Use with raw or cooked vegetables; fried, roasted, boiled, or baked potatoes; or chips.

Thin with buttermilk for a creamy salad dressing.

Mix 1.5 cups of the base with a tin of drained, chopped artichokes or one cup cooked, squeezed spinach plus a half-cup grated Parmesan cheese; serve warm with bread or crackers.

FOR THE SWEET SAUCE

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add two cups of sugar. Shake the pan occasionally until the sugar is melted and tea-coloured. Off the heat, slowly add a half-cup water (be careful: caramel is ferociously hot), then one cup whipping cream and half of one vanilla bean, split and scraped out. Simmer until smooth, add a pinch of salt, cool, then store refrigerated for up to a month.

Serve over ice cream, with sautéed summer fruit, puréed with fresh berries to make caramel fruit sauces, or folded into whipped cream to serve with cakes, tarts, or fruit.

Make caramel upside-down cake by pouring a half-cup caramel sauce over fruit in a cake pan, top with cake batter, bake, and flip.

In the microwave, warm a half-cup caramel sauce with three ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate until the chocolate melts. It's incredible with brownies and ice cream.

There. The plan is set. I've got my four sauces ready to go and, during weekly strolls at the farmers market, I'll ponder the quick and amazing transformations I will effect with them. Happy hunting, happy lazing, and happy munching. Happy summer.