Lemon

"The mark of a great pancake is that it can be eaten without syrup," says chef Travis Lett, who serves this dish at Gjelina, his Venice, CA, eatery. His version delivers: It's nutty, lemony, and ever so moist. Be sure to fold the ricotta into the batter very gently: "That way, when you bite into the pancake, you get these pockets of pillowy ricotta."

Lemon and oil is a magical marriage that stumps our companions whenever we serve it. "Sumac?" they guess. "Pickled plum? Verjus?" Beautiful in its simplicity, this vinaigrette is our most-oft served, as it is the one most likely to improve any salad it meets.

The wilderness is filled with greens, from grassy glade and mossy rock to the leaves upon the trees. But how to celebrate this verdant splendor, when one eats neither grass nor moss, neither leaf-lined branch nor bud? The salad bowl is just the place for a pageant of greenery, as one can fill it with a tender mix of lush edibles scooped from the field. We prefer a wild salad to be austerely dressed; too much accessorizing can distract from its simple beauty. A drizzle of lemon and oil and perhaps a scattering of edible blooms are all that are needed here.

This grown-up take on a ballpark staple can also be made without an ice cream maker. To do so, put 1 cup of the wine, covered, in the refrigerator; chill. Purée the remaining wine with all remaining ingredients in a food processor. Pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze until solid. When you’re ready to serve, just purée the ice cubes with the remaining wine in a blender.

Use this zesty spice mix for sprinkling over the shellfish, corn, and potatoes.

Cabell Tomlinson, bar director at Frankies 570 Spuntino in New York City, grew up in the South, where, she says, "the summer air was scented with honeysuckle and lemon balm." Those childhood memories, along with a recipe for the classic Bee's Knees cocktail (rum, lime, and honey), inspired this thirst-quencher. It's equally good with lemon vodka (try Charbay Meyer Lemon Vodka) or white rum (we like Flor de Caña Extra Dry 4 Year). Lemon balm is available at many farmers' markets. Better yet, try planting pots of the prolific herb in your backyard.

For the best results, chill the produce first.

For this patriotic-themed cooler, Cabell Tomlinson combines two summer favorites: sweet iced tea and sangria. "I started thinking about the Fourth of July," she explains. "I had the red from the rosé and the blue from the blueberries. I still needed the white, but I decided to go with that oh-so-American spirit, bourbon." She uses orange pekoe for the tea and suggests a fruity rosé like a Spanish Rioja.

Damon Boelte was aiming for something simple and accessible when he concocted this extremely refreshing, very British cooler. "Like a traditional Pimm's Cup, this recipe works well with other spirits, including bourbon, rum, and tequila," he says. "You have my permission to experiment." St-Germain liqueur, made from Alpine elderflowers, brings a floral note.

"I created this pitcher drink for people to sip on their front porch, or for city folks to drink at our sidewalk café," says Damon Boelte, bar director at Prime Meats in Brooklyn. If you've never had a beer cocktail or, better yet, a cocktail made with drinking vinegars, let this be your introduction to two growing trends in the bar world. Look for Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy, a.k.a. applejack ($23), made by America's oldest family-owned distillery, at better liquor stores.

Soy Free Tabbouleh, tabouli, tabouleh, taboolee . . . however you wanna spell it, it spells YUM! It has a clean, light flavor that just tastes healthy. If you have a food processor, now is the time to use it.

Wheat Free No need to worry if your local market doesn't carry egg-free mayo. Just whip up some of your own. This recipe works very well as a sandwich spread or in any mayonnaise-based dressing. As long as you use wheat-free vinegar, this mayo is indeed wheat-free.

The crisp-tender texture and robust flavor of thinly sliced Tuscan kale stands up to the tart, Caesar-like dressing of this hearty slaw. Serve as a first course or as a side with grilled chicken, beef, or lamb.

Sprinkle these simple cookies with sanding sugar and serve them with ice cream. Or leave off the sugar and serve with tea for a more savory option.

Enough to marinate 2 pounds of pork (tenderloin, shoulder, or bone-in chops) or fish (firm, white-fleshed fish such as sea bass; shrimp or scallops)

Anthony Ross, executive chef at the Langham Hotel in Melbourne, once took me on a tour of the kitchen. The food there is amazing and so I asked Anthony for his recipe for pork belly tandoori as it is my favorite. He said it was quite funny because in India pork isn't really seen as a popular choice for tandoori, but in Australia it is his bestseller. I have changed the pork belly to loin as it suits the grill better.

A 4-ounce fillet of mild-tasting tilapia has only 108 calories.

Ladolemono, with its one-to-one acid-to-oil ratio (as opposed to the usual one-to-three), is a classic Greek vinaigrette that gives a flash of brightness to grilled octopus, shrimp, squid, or the smoky, crispy skin of a whole branzino

Japanese eggplants have thin skins and few seeds, just meaty, flavorful flesh that transforms into tender, creamy textured, fragrant, smoky goodness when grilled. The classic way to enjoy this dish is with just soy sauce or Ponzu and a mound of katsuobushi, dried shaved bonito flakes (a type of tuna). The dressing below is more contemporary but also fantastic. Either way, get your hands on these eggplants and grill them.