Lemon

Indulgence on a platter: Lobster, shrimp, scallops, and crab legs make one impressive presentation. (Ask the market to cut the lobster tails and crab legs in half lengthwise for you.) A selection of sauces adds to the party fun.

Asiago frico — easy-to-make crispy cheese wafers — top this salad. Look for tender young spinach at the farmers' market. In some areas, what you find at the farmers' market may be cheaper than what's available at the supermarket. If you have a first-rate extra-virgin olive oil and some sea salt in your cupboard, here's a chance to show them off.

IMPROV: Substitute red oak leaf lettuce (available at farmers' markets and natural foods stores) or red romaine for the red leaf lettuce. Make the croutons with Asiago or Pecorino Romano cheese instead of Parmesan.

The citrusy dressing makes this dish a standout, and there's plenty extra to be sopped up with rice or crusty bread. Cooking shrimp in their shells keeps them juicy and tender. It all makes for casual finger food that requires plenty of napkins — which is part of the fun.

Roasting the berries intensifies their flavor. Try substituting basil for the tarragon.

This can be served hot or at room temperature.

They're inspired by lobster rolls, but we think you'll find these sandwiches more popular with a crowd of all ages — not to mention more affordable and easier on the cook.

Nestled in a flaky crust, nectarines and raspberries seem to tease the best out of each other — these pies are fragrant and floral, sweet and tart. Even if you've never had the combination of fruits before, it instantly tastes like an American classic.

This drink was featured as a Cocktail of the Month. Click here to learn more about the Pisco Sour. This recipe is from Ryan McGrale, bar manager of No. 9 Park, in Boston.

Shlata Chizo Carrot salads are a relatively new dish, especially raw ones. Until well into the twentieth century, most Europeans ate only cooked carrots, primarily in stews and soups. In the Middle East, people also used them as a component of cooked dishes, but sometimes added grated or minced raw carrots as a minor ingredient to various salads. It was in northwestern Africa that carrots, both cooked and raw, became the featured component of salads — typically an accompaniment to couscous or part of an assortment of salads. Moroccans brought carrot salads to Israel in the 1940s, and they quickly became ubiquitous. These salads are a traditional Rosh Hashanah dish in Israel, a symbol of a sweet and fruitful year to come. At many Israeli restaurants, cooked carrot salad automatically appears on the table with the bread, pickles, and hummus. The carrots are usually flavored with charmoula, a characteristic Moroccan marinade of oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and salt. Most cooks add heat with chilies, sometimes in dangerous proportions. I have tasted some that left me gasping and other that proved a lively appetizer, so adjust the amount of chilies to your own preference and that of your guests. For fancy presentation, Israelis serve raw carrot salad, commonly called gezer chai ("live carrots"), in quartered avocados or on a bed of lettuce leaves, garnished with a sprig of mint.

Improv: Instead of smoked salmon, try this with a generous dollop of caviar on the eggs, or top them with smoked trout or whitefish.

The health benefits: almost 25 percent of the RDA for magnesium in 1/2 cup cooked chard; 20 percent of the RDA for vitamin A; almost 25 percent of your potassium quota.

This version of the classic salad shows why it is a favorite across America.

Fried with a parmesan coating, humble cauliflower takes on a whole new appeal in this salad; lots of parsley makes it aromatic and refreshing.

Enid P. Saldana of San Juan, Puerto Rico, writes: "I would love to get the recipe for the lychee Martini they serve at Kittichai, in New York City." This summer, enjoy a vodka Martini with a real twist — lychee. The exotic sweetness of the fruit brightens the citrus flavors in this truly refreshing drink.

Elegant but easy, this fast fish dinner is simple enough to prepare on a weeknight and special enough to serve to company.

Kebabs are not only fun to eat, they also save time: It takes less than 10 minutes for these lamb cubes to cook up medium-rare. The marinade, made with fresh thyme and rosemary, infuses both the meat and the vegetables with south-of-France flavor.

Lori Hartman of New York City, writes: "I'm looking for a good madeleine recipe similar to the delicious ones (lemony, buttery, and spongy, but crispy on the edges) I used to buy at Bouley Bakery in Manhattan's TriBeCa neighborhood. Can you get the recipe?" The crisp edge on these delightful citrus-scented cookies sets them apart from any other classic madeleines our food editors have tasted. We're never going back.