Dairy

Potatoes and tomatoes in a curry-flavored yogurt make a luscious summertime treat.

An exercise in elegant simplicity, this salad makes a delicious contribution to a buffet of room-temperature dishes for company.

I’m not one to eat pears out of hand, but I like them—slightly underripe—in salads. Contrasted with the pleasant bite of goat cheese and the sweetness of dried cranberries, this salad is a party for the palate.

A few choice ingredients contribute to this elegant potato salad. If you like goat cheese, you’ll love this one.

This is a modified version of Greek salad. I like to serve it with spinach dishes, as suggested in the menu with Spinach Rice (page 92). Or serve it with Hummus (page 229) and warm pita bread if you are expecting company for lunch.

A hefty salad like this one can easily share center stage with a grain or pasta dish as shown in the menus for Bulgur with Cabbage and Green Beans (page 109) and Summer Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes (page 64).

There’s something appropriate about pairing feta cheese and lentils—perhaps it’s the mingling of the salty and peppery flavors.

A rich, delicious vehicle for showcasing summer’s wonderful tomatoes, this salad is an enticing partner for light pasta dishes or pasta salads. See the menu accompanying Farfalle with Mushrooms (page 76).

This is a good palate-cooler to serve with curries and other spicy dishes. Use a creamy-textured yogurt.

Here’s a nice change of pace from “white” coleslaw. It adds a refreshing note to spicy meals and adds vibrant color to the plate.

A food processor with a grating attachment makes this delicious soup easy to prepare. Use smaller zucchini, as they are more flavorful than large ones.

Here’s another nearly-instant cold soup. While cucumbers may not be the most nutritious of vegetables, they are undoubtedly one of the most refreshing. On a very hot day, if you want to be as cool as one, serve this lilting cucumber soup.

Potatoes, barley, and buttermilk are a trio that I find blissfully refreshing in the summer, served cold in a soup.

This features a base of canned beans and is best served at room temperature.

There are no cracks in this New York cheesecake. A water bath is key for gentle heat during the baking process.

You will need a nonstick Bundt pan to make this awesome cake. Store it in an airtight container and you can snack on it for a week.

Cheese for dessert is very European and a nice change from an overly sweet indulgence. This savory dessert puffs up so high it’s gorgeous; make sure folks are around when you take it out of the oven. An after-dinner experience.

Slice the potatoes right before you assemble the dish so they don’t turn brown.

The eggplant is also great grilled. The yogurt sauce is my version of tahini.