Summer

Roasted bell peppers, prosciutto, and olives are added to the classic Italian trio of tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Serve with plenty of crusty country bread.

Look for red curry paste in the Asian section of the supermarket. Serve with: Lentil and rice pilaf and sautéed mixed vegetables. Dessert: Sliced papaya and mango.

Mary deMuth of Rowlett, Texas, writes: "Because my husband is in a graduate program, we've been able to meet people from all over the world. It has been a great experience for our three children — and a chance for me to add to my recipe collection. We frequently have other students over for dinner, so I'm always learning new dishes. Next year our family will be moving to southern France, and we're very excited about the food we'll have there. We hope to make many new friends who will share their Provençal specialties." This side dish is a perfect contribution to any potluck picnic. Toss in a can of drained tuna for a more substantial salad.

All the wonderful flavors and textures of summer berry pie à la mode in an ice cream sundae. For a casual party, offer the individual components buffet style and let guests make their own.

It's hard to believe that this sweet, crunchy, and smoky salsa has only six calories per serving.

When a generous garnish of pesto gets stirred in, the soup turns a vibrant green and becomes perfumed with the intense and sweet aroma of basil mixed with garlic.

Preparing the zucchini for this dish won't heat up your kitchen — simply salting thin slices is enough to tenderize them. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

The "black bottom" is a layer of superb chocolate pudding — plus a chocolate cookie crust. The pie must be chilled overnight before the topping is added.

Plum fans take note: The jam recipe here is a stand-alone bonus, especially if that tree in the garden is overloaded. (You can triple the jam recipe below for a yield of two generous cups and store it in the refrigerator for up to one week.) Pastry novices should also note that this is one napoleon that holds together beautifully when sliced — so go for it.

This sauce is basted on the meat as it grills. It would also be great served alongside; the recipe doubles easily.

I don't know if it's because of all the hot dogs I ate on the sidewalks of New York as a kid, but I never seem to get tired of mustard. I use it as a background flavor in a lot of my sauces, but in this one mustard is front and center. Use a whole-grain mustard, such as Pommery de Meaux from France, so that your sauce has a nice crunch from the whole seeds.

Using frozen blueberries in the batter will keep the fruit from sinking to the bottom of the pan as the cake bakes.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 30 min

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 40 min