Weeknight Meals

Serve this quick appetizer with a hearty brown bread.

Cheese drizzled with honey is a traditional Mediterranean appetizer; when mixed with fruit and nuts, it makes a tantalizing dessert.

Truffle oil can be found at most gourmet shops.

Bucheron is a tangy, mild goat cheese. We like to serve it drizzled with a deep, intensely flavored extra-virgin olive oil.

Haloumi is a semihard cheese made from sheep’s milk; look for it at Middle Eastern markets.

We particularly like the flavor and firm texture of Bulgarian feta cheese, which is easy to slice, but other types can also be used.

Baked tarts can be frozen up to 3 weeks. Without thawing, reheat them in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes. Instead of large tarts, you can make individual-size tartlets: Cut the pastry into eight 4-inch squares; bake for about 20 minutes.

Using tequila as a steaming liquid enhances the flavor of the clams and oysters, but it’s fine to use water instead. Setting the skillet over a grill gives the dish a touch of smokiness, or you can use your stove turned to medium-high heat.

Ciabatta, a long, flat Italian bread, is ideal for this recipe, but you could also use a rustic round loaf; instead of splitting it horizontally, cut 6 1 1/4-inch-thick slices. You can refrigerate leftover chimichurri in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

If you can’t find lemon thyme, use small, fresh basil leaves instead.