Skewer

When the heat is on, veg out with this easy meal. With farmers' markets sprouting up everywhere, it's easy to feast on good veggies. How to prepare all that produce? Serve it on skewers with a side of hummus, says Daniel Orr, executive chef of Guastavino's in New York City. Not only are the vegetables healthy, but the creamy bean dip boasts plenty of protein, some heart-helping monounsaturated fat and rosemary for an added antioxidant punch.

Kebabs are not only fun to eat, they also save time: It takes less than 10 minutes for these lamb cubes to cook up medium-rare. The marinade, made with fresh thyme and rosemary, infuses both the meat and the vegetables with south-of-France flavor.

With these distinctly Middle Eastern kebabs, the minty coolness of the yogurt sauce offsets the allspice, pepper, and cinnamon in some of the most succulent and juicy meatballs you have ever tasted.

To make your cocktail party more participatory, have your guests grill their own skewers. A hibachi is even more user-friendly than a grill, since the ends of the skewers hang out over the edge, eliminating the need for tongs. If you're cooking everything yourself, it's easiest to use a large grill or a broiler (see cooks' note, below) and serve the skewers in batches.

The skewers grill above the flames, suspended between two bricks to keep them from touching the grates of the barbecue. No bricks handy? Substitute disposable foil mini loaf pans (found on the baking aisle at the supermarket).

Ground Urfa and Maras peppers are flavorful without being fiery. If you find only one, use 1 tablespoon of it.

Yakitori In Tokyo, these savory skewers are made with Japanese leeks, called negi, which are thinner and more tender than Western leeks. We've substituted scallions, since they have a similar sweetness and are more readily available here.

These skewers are traditionally made with Brazilian queijo de coalho, a dense, salty white cheese very similar in taste and texture to the Haloumi we use here. Soaking the cheese on the skewers removes some of the salt and prevents the skewers from burning.

Top-quality veal really makes a difference in this dish; meat should be cut from the leg for scalloppine.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe calls for a double dose of rosemary — it's used in the marinade for the lamb and in the aioli that's served with it.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Serve grated cheese, sour cream, guacamole and salsa with the fajitas. Begin with Margaritas, and finish with coffee ice cream drizzled with Kahlúa.

There's something for everyone in this traditional specialty. Don't forget to soak the bamboo skewers before using them.

Suitable sides for the vegetables and pasta are grilled pita bread and assorted olives. End with baklava and fresh apricots.