Cherry Tomato

Dijon mustard and lemon peel give the dressing lots of zip. This salad can also be spooned into pita halves.

If you are using cherry tomatoes on the vine and get 1 large cluster, simply cut the vines into 4 clusters before grilling and serving with the lamb.

When you want to put on the "dog" but not the fat, try this colorful salad.

Try tucking this simple make-ahead salad into pita bread halves and adding some ruffly-edged lettuce for color.

In this recipe we used fresh baby lima beans (the frozen ones are excellent, too), but you can substitute any other fresh young shell beans such as fava or cranberry beans.

"Many of the everyday dishes I made when I was raising my daughters are recipes I learned from my mother while I was growing up in the suburbs of Paris," writes Fanny Carroll of Eugene, Oregon. "She was quite a cook, and with a husband and seven kids to feed, everything had to be fast."

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 2 hr

This pasta celebrates the month of September, when tomatoes are truly in full season and just exploding. It's our favorite take on pasta al pomodoro.

If you can't get cotija cheese, you can substitute feta — it's stronger in flavor and a bit saltier than cotija, but it works fine. Archibald also makes a version of this salad topped with shavings of Manchego cheese.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 20 min

One piece of gemelli consists of two strands of pasta-both about an inch long-twisted around each other to resemble a braid. These noodles are great for catching the juices in this garlicky entrée. If you can't find gemelli, use fusilli; it will work just as well.

Store-bought seasoned salt can also be used in the following recipe. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.