Summer

In this menu, guests make their own sandwiches, piling on rosy slices of spring lamb, chopped grilled green onions and a variety of condiments. Uncork a red Rhône wine (we recommend Gigondas) or a Pinot Noir to pour with the sandwiches; have a selection of sodas and bottled water on hand, too.

(TARTE D'ABRICOTS AU MIEL ET AUX AMANDES) In early summer, apricots are abundant in Provence; here, we've called for canned apricots, which are always available.

We admit we've never been big clafouti fans, but this recipe won us over. It's the lightest version of the dish we've ever had. In the fall and winter, innkeepers Bob and Caroline Taylor like to make this dessert with pears, flavoring it with powdered ginger.

Freeze some of this sauce now and treat yourself to a burst of summer one cold, wintry day.

At Hanukkah I always made potato pancakes at the last minute so we tried my recipe but added zucchini to change the color. I wrang out the hand-grated potatoes in a tea towel and got rid of as much of the liquid as possible but retained the starch. I always add scallions, onions, and eggs but no filler. Rochelle Rose, mother of the proprietors of Mrs. Simpson's Restaurant This recipe was created at the first of Mrs. Rose's sons' restaurants, 209 1/2, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. This recipe appeared in the "You Asked for It" column in Gourmet magazine in 1977.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. A popular Japanese sauce perks up the grilled shrimp. For side dishes, garnish purchased sesame noodle salad with chopped green onions and peanuts, and put out a plate of carrot and celery sticks. As long as the coals are hot, grill slices of fresh pineapple, then top them with vanilla ice cream and shredded coconut.

A very pretty, fresh-tasting dessert that can be assembled a day ahead.

You may be curious about why we chose to include edamame (fresh soybeans), which are often associated with Asian cuisine, in this all-American succotash recipe. Soybeans are actually a patriotic legume: They're the second largest crop produced in this country. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Active time: 40 minutes Start to finish: 6 hours(includes making dough and cooling pie)

Active time: 30 minutes Start to finish: 1 1/2 hours

Sources for posto are Penzeys (800-741-7787; penzeys.com) and Kalustyan's (800-352-3451; kalustyans.com). Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 20 min

Active time: 15 minutes Start to finish: 1 1/4 hour

Tradition dictates that these Florentine-style steaks be cooked over a grate in a fireplace, but this recipe translates very well to an American-style outdoor grill. Use a vegetable peeler to cut thin strips from a wedge of Parmesan to make the cheese shavings. What to drink: Chianti Classico.