Zucchini

Eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper and arugula share the stage with slices of tuna steak in the Mediterranean-inspired sandwich. Spoon the lentil salad alongside and offer chilled beer. Fresh pears and crisp biscotti round things out nicely.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 45 min

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

Rouget, or red mullet, is renowned in the Mediterranean for its delicate flavor. It is increasingly available here in the U.S. (Incidentally, the fish is not a true mullet but is a member of another piscine family.) We loved the commingling of flavors that resulted when we put this concoction on a bed of zucchini potato lemon-thyme mash .

Preparing the zucchini for this dish won't heat up your kitchen — simply salting thin slices is enough to tenderize them. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

Only native Californians like two wine-making friends of mine in Salinas can regularly throw together a vegetable chili such as this utilizing their almost year-round abundance of fresh vegetables and herbs. For those of us with seasonal gardens, various substitutions often have to be made (canned tomatoes, dried herbs, and the like), but such is the availability almost everywhere today of certain fresh produce even in the coldest months that no imaginative cook should have much trouble concocting a very tasty vegetable and bean chili according to this basic recipe. One advantage, by the way, of using a 28-ounce can of tomatoes with their juices instead of the fresh is that most likely you won't have to add any water to keep the chili slightly soupy.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The perfect accompaniment to grilled fish, chicken or meat. Try cooked bell peppers, mushrooms and onions over the coals, too.

My friend and colleague Ric Lands learned a similar recipe, using squash from my book New Southern Cooking. He and his family so enjoy this zucchini version that they make it every Thanksgiving, as do I. It can also serve as a rich main course for a light supper.

Aunt Jemima’s Pancake Flour, first marketed in 1899, was America’s original ready-mix food. Until the mix became nationally available in 1910, Americans thought of pancakes only as a hearty wintertime breakfast. But with the convenience offered by a mix, flapjacks were established as a quick anytime meal. Here, we’ve taken a few modern liberties with the favorite breakfast standby, with great results.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.