Starter

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Delicious with toasted bread, as presented here, or with celery sticks, red bell pepper strips or Belgian endive leaves.

This beautiful and delicious soup is served at The Kinloch Lodge Hotel.

The classic Andalusian gazpacho is found all over the region with surprisingly few variations, except for the addition of cucumber and onion—ingredients that have fallen out of favor with chefs who prefer to allow the pure taste of the tomatoes, Sherry vinegar, and olive oil to shine through.

The secret to the crisp coating in this recipe? Crushed potato chips.

(Three Generations of Squash) Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 2 1/4 hr

Tangy and refreshing, this dip is called tzatziki in Greek. Here, it's served with crisp baked pita wedges, but it also goes well with crudités. Drain the yogurt a day before you plan to prepare the dip. And mix up a big batch of lemonade to pour throughout the picnic.

"For me, cooking is a very relaxing and creative process — I just wish I had more time for it," writes Katherine Burk of Seattle, Washington. "I make a point of fixing dinner during the week, but with my hectic schedule (I work in information technology), there are some nights I'm too wiped out to attempt anything more complicated than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Usually, though, I can put something together — my spicy black bean soup, for example — in under thirty minutes." A southwestern favorite, simplified: Most of the ingredients are pantry staples.

These five-ingredient sardine toasts make the perfect party snacks to pass around during cocktail hour.

In Rome, this pasta would be served as a first course, but we prefer it as a main course. Traditionally, Romans don't use heavy cream in this dish, so you won't find any here either. Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 25 min

For this dish, fresh spring-summer zucchini are imperative. I use a 1-mm. food processor-blade as if it were a mandoline to hand-slice the tender zucchini. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.