Cheese

Piping the filling into the potato shells with a pastry bag makes an attractive presentation. You can also just spoon in the filling and crosshatch the top with the tines of a fork.

A gift from Native American cooks, hominy is dried, hulled corn kernels. Sold rehydrated in cans, it also makes a great addition to soups, stews, and casseroles.

Chef Jimmy Bradley's wonderfully simple combinations of texture and flavor at New York City's The Red Cat were the inspiration for this zucchini dish—it makes a great accompaniment to "lazy lasagne." Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

"A friend of mine insisted I try the red bell pepper bisque at Ristorante Grano in Williamsville, a suburb of Buffalo," says Lucy Mitchell of Grand Island, New York. "I did, and now I'm hoping to prepare it at home."

Fresh kernels of raw corn are so sweet and tender that they don't need to be cooked. Their natural sugars and crisp juiciness pair wonderfully with the salty Parmesan and peppery arugula.

Serve with: Crudités dipped into creamy Italian dressing. Dessert: Sliced apricots drizzled with anisette liqueur.

This salad was inspired by one we had in Rome that was made with Stracchino cheese, but we've used mascarpone, which makes an admirable and accessible substitute. (Stracchino, a springtime cheese, is difficult to find here, even in season.) Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 25 min

Serve these as an appetizer with a salad of baby greens.

Serve a nice bottle of Merlot alongside.

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