Starter

Go to your local farmers' market for a variety of fresh vegetables to serve with these flavored salts. You'll probably find yellow wax beans, pink radishes, slender asparagus, sweet bell peppers, and an assortment of teardrop, cherry, and grape tomatoes. Dip the veggies into the olive oil first, then the salt.

Salpicón de Res Not truly a salad but a dish of seasoned cold shredded meat, a salpicón is usually eaten folded into hot tortillas or piled onto crispy tostadas. It is a refreshing party dish ideal for a summer buffet.

The salad components can be made a day ahead and assembled just before serving.

In this dish from La Belle Vie in Stillwater, Minnesota, the asparagus could be broiled if that's more convenient.

Fresh fennel bulbs and crushed fennel seeds add subtle anise flavor. Use a mortar and pestle to crush the fennel seeds, or simply place them in a plastic bag and pound them with a rolling pin. The soup can be made a day ahead and rewarmed before serving.

(Thon Poêlé et "Mariné," Vinaigrette d'Olives Noires) A sophisticated starter from chef Guy Savoy.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 15 min

A little bit of smoked mozzarella goes a long way in boosting flavor without adding much fat. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 2 hr

This is a refined version of classic split pea soup. It has a thinner consistency than other recipes (though it's still very hearty), and the addition of frozen peas brightens up the flavor.

Try this side with trout or lamb chops, then apple upside-down cake.

"Recently I had dinner at a fine restaurant with a peculiar name: The Place Next to the San Juan Ferry," says Beth Fogarty Day of Redmond, Washington. "It's right by the water in Friday Harbor, Washington. I'd love the recipe for the mushroom and goat cheese appetizer."

Sephardim (Jews of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean extraction) eat peas during Passover; those from eastern European Jewish backgrounds do not. Feel free to omit the peas — the soup is just as delicious without them. It's important to use a flavorful chicken stock for this recipe, so if you have a stash of homemade stock in your freezer, this is the time to use it. Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 4 hr (includes making stock)

This dip was inspired by a recipe for bissara, a garlicky purée from Egypt made from dried broad beans, in Claudia Roden's Mediterranean Cookery.

When adding the flour, it's important to do so delicately. It must be cooked to remove any raw taste. This thickens the soup nicely.

"The bruschetta topped with portobello mushrooms and caramelized onions at Tapas 177 is one of the best things I've eaten in this town," writes Laurence Schacht of Rochester, New York. "I'd like to re-create this dish at home for my friends." The restaurant-style results of this recipe are worth the effort. Use roasted red peppers from a jar instead of roasting fresh ones, if desired, and note the do-ahead steps.