Starter

Tomates Rellenos Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 45 min Long before guacamole, tortilla chips, and Margaritas became a popular light dinner, guacamole was often served in tomatoes, and we were charmed by this presentation.

Dried cranberries can be used in place of the pomegranate seeds in this recipe.

This jam is tasty on toast alone, or with some Manchego cheese. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 2 1/4 hr

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 40 min

This light starter reinvents the classic side dish of lima beans and corn.

Virginia Flesher of Charleston, West Virginia, writes: "Last spring I attended my oldest grandson's college graduation in New York. The evening before the ceremony, the entire family dined at Town in the Chambers Hotel. I can still remember chef Geoffrey Zakarian's superb lentil soup."

Crisp broccoli and a creamy blue cheese dressing give new life to pasta salad.

People who turn their noses up at rice often find this tiny pasta irresistible. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 40 min

In this recipe from Rick Tramonto, chef at Tru in Chicago, chewy pearl barley meets silky European butter in an outstanding alternative to arborio rice risotto. For best results, use Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Thakkali Rasam We liked this soup on its own, but in India it is frequently served over rice and topped with a spoonful of warm ghee.

"When our travel plans changed and my husband and I found ourselves in Tampa overnight, we got a hotel room and then went searching for a restaurant," writes Lee Menconi-Steiger of San Pablo, California. "Our concierge recommended SideBern's for dinner — and it was outstanding. We tried dozens of delicious items from their dim sum menu, but the dish I remember best is the Pacific Rim Caesar salad." Top this salad with seared tuna or scallops to make it into a main course for four.

This rich, satisfying main course would be nice with a salad of chopped fresh tomatoes, yellow bell peppers, black olives, and sweet onion. Crusty breadsticks round out the meal, which might end with a plate of assorted grape clusters and anise biscuits.

Instead of the usual salty spiced nuts before dinner, these are served after dessert, with coffee.

Celebrate the last days of the tomato crop with this recipe. A hearty vegetarian main course, it needs only a salad and a loaf of Italian bread to complete the menu. End with fresh figs (dried are okay, too) steeped in Pernod and spooned over vanilla ice cream.

Many dark, leafy greens, like kale, contain calcium. The beans have it, too.

In a restaurant, speed is of the essence. Dishes must be quick to make, easy to prepare ahead, and just a little bit different, like this little sauté of red peppers piled on crusty bread and broiled with a topping of goat cheese.