Starter

It's best to serve this lobster salad right after you make it, rather than preparing it in advance. If the salad stands for more than half an hour, pineapple enzymes will alter the texture of the lobster meat. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

Sorbete de Gazpacho Sobre
Gelée de Manzana Many of Spain's celebrated chefs have tinkered with traditional gazpachos, transforming them into dishes worthy of the most creative kitchens. A favorite variation is gazpachos (both red and white) made into sorbets and included as part of a tasting menu. This luscious coral-colored sorbet, adapted from a recipe by chef Sergio López Domínguez, of Tragabuches restaurant, in Ronda, looks stunning served over a bed of diced apple aspic and drizzled with caramelized balsamic vinegar. López likes to sprinkle the sorbet with a garnish of finely chopped mojama, a salt-cured tuna. The blend of flavors in the dish works sensationally well, with or without the extra garnish.

Pipirrana Jaenera Pipirrana is a version of gazpacho typical of the Andalusian province of Jaén — more a salad than a soup.

This recipe has a nice balance of sweet and spicy flavors, and a drizzle of lime juice provides tang. Serve the corn and the Hearts of Romaine and Roquefort Salad with the burgers, and check out the box on the next page for potato salad suggestions.

Pour a Chardonnay with the meal; if there are kids at the table, offer them apple cider.

Cut into slim wedges for an appetizer or into larger pieces for a main course.

"On Saturday mornings I like to go to the farmers' market near my house and buy whatever produce is at its peak," writes Justin Kulongowski of Portland, Maine. "One weekend I came home with all the ingredients to make this great salad."

These crab cakes get an extra kick from the chili-garlic sauce, available in the Asian foods section of most supermarkets.

Round out this meatless — but hearty — main course with a big spoonful of deli pasta salad on a bed of arugula, and end with purchased tiramisù topped with berries.

If you can't find fresh lobsters, frozen lobster meat can be used.

This salad was inspired by a couple of dishes our food editors encountered at restaurants in Rome.