Plum Tomato

These versatile roasted tomatoes are not only delicious in the stew but would also be great tossed with pasta or spooned over bread.

Fresh, colorful and simple, this salad is the essence of summer. In the picnic basket, tuck a cold pack next to this dish to keep it at the right temperature.

Sliced avocado and purchased salsa are great additions to this Tex-Mex entrée. Let guests assemble their own tacos.

Serve this hearty stew with plain yogurt or raita for a high-protein vegetarian meal.

Plancha is simply another word for comal, or griddle.

Pick up some roasted or steamed vegetables from a deli or salad bar and some corn bread to serve alongside. Vanilla ice cream topped with sliced peaches and toasted pecans would be a nice ending. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

At the end of the century, vegetarian cooking gained wide acceptance-and became sophisticated. Wraps (basically burritos) were a hot fast food; everything from Thai chicken to ahi tuna got "wrapped" in flour tortillas or flatbread. The two trends pair up in this terrific dish. To make these even more like burritos, add one 15- to 16-ounce can of drained black beans to the filling.

This starter was inspired by the tamarind-flavored dishes of Alicia De Angeli, a food writer and consultant in Mexico City, and Mark Miller of Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe.

María A. Alvarado-Gómez of Erie, Pennsylvania, writes: "I came to the United States as an exchange student, after spending the first 18 years of my life in Mérida, Yucatán. On school vacations I would go home and cook with my mother and sisters so that I wouldn't lose my touch. My mother was a skilled cook, and I was lucky to have learned at her side. Her food was so popular in our neighborhood that she sold portions of our daily meals to other families. With nine well-fed kids, she said we were her best advertisement. "I still take great pride in the food of my homeland. Yucatecan cuisine is known for its Mayan influence, and the essential ingredients we use — limes, spices, avocados, tomatoes, peppers — make for wonderful flavors. Now that ground spices are readily available and vegetables can be quickly chopped in a food processor, preparing traditional Mexican dishes is easier than ever." Fresh and lively, like a cooked ceviche.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

You’ll need to purchase a 1-pound package of frozen pizza dough, even though only a quarter of that is called for here. Refreeze the remainder for another use.

In the Today's Gourmet series, I wanted to create dishes that were elegant, modern, original, light, and reasonably quick to prepare. TV demanded that the dishes be visually attractive, too.... Partially drying the tomatoes in the oven concentrates their taste, giving them a wonderfully deep flavor and great chewiness. The red of the tomatoes, the white of the cheese, and the green of the basil make this dramatically colorful salad especially enticing. Serve with good crunchy bread.

The olives can marinate before starting the stew, which cooks in just over 30 minutes.