Cherry Tomato

Paulette Sexton of Tustin, California, writes: "Although I've loved to cook since I was a kid, I didn't really hone my kitchen skills until my husband and I started entertaining frequently. When we were first married, we had dinner parties several times a week — it got to the point where people would call me around 4:30 in the afternoon and ask, 'What's for dinner?' We're still having people over and we're still informal, especially in the summer. Everyone sits around the large island in our kitchen, drinking wine and eating appetizers. Usually there's grilled chicken or fish or a simple main-course salad for dinner. It's our favorite menu."

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Nam Prik Ong Relishes are a cornerstone of Thai cooking, playing a crucial role in the balance of hot, salty, sour, and sweet that Southeast Asian cuisine strives for. The vegetables are traditionally dipped into the relish and then eaten, but you might find it easier to use a plate. Because this dish is quite spicy even with just a few chiles, we suggest using the least amount the first time you make the recipe. Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Little polenta "tarts" are filled with tomatoes, pine nuts, and blue cheese, then popped into the oven until the cheese melts.

Feel free to add, subtract, or substitute any raw or cooked vegetables you'd like, but make sure there's a good variety of textures and colors.

Colorful, refreshing and delicious.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

We seasoned this salad — based on the Middle Eastern bread salad called fattoush — with za'atar, a mixture of salt, sumac, sesame, and thyme.

Serve with steamed new potatoes.

Here's a light way with stuffed vegetables.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Feta cheese, cucumber, tomato and fresh dell enliven this simple salad.

In this recipe we call for a 10 1/2- by 7- by 1-inch rectangular tart pan with a removable fluted rim; you could instead use a 10- by 1-inch round tart pan with a removable rim. The cornmeal makes a tender, delicate crust.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Makes use of the microwave oven.

A lightened version of a first course that traditionally precedes choucroute garnie.