Ham

Crisp, freshly cooked shrimp are wrapped in prosciutto slices, then set atop a salad of roasted peppers, garbanzo beans and artichokes tossed with a tangy dressing.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The layered salad was popular in the Midwest throughout the seventies. We've updated it for today's speedy lifestyles and lightened-up diets. Round out the meal with a basket of corn bread, and mugs of tomato soup. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This quick one-pot meal is especially good with garlic toast or corn bread.

Bonnie Wilkens Metully of Cincinnati, Ohio, writes: "As much as my husband and I love to go out to eat, it's just more fun, intimate, and cozy to cook and entertain at home. I've taught a lot of our friends just how easy it is to prepare restaurant-quality dishes themselves. Who taught me? My older sister, who's a professional chef. She showed me the importance of getting everything prepped beforehand and seeking out the freshest ingredients." This sophisticated appetizer is one of Bonnie's greatest party hits.

Nice as an appetizer or a simple lunch.

To make quick work of the slicing, simply stack the ham and cheese and cut into strips approximately 1 1/2 to 2 inches long and 1/4 inch wide. Serve with: Sourdough rolls. Dessert: Peaches drizzled with honey.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 45 min

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Mrs. Alvin Schreiner and her mother, Mrs. Lackner, were old-time German cooks. Everything they made was a work of art. This pea soup recipe came from them and is one of our favorites. Do not omit the bacon fat; it is the secret ingredient.

Have some carrot sticks, sweet gherkin pickles and buttered dinner rolls with the salad; if the picnic is taking place in the back yard, offer some corn on the cob as well. Oversize oatmeal cookies and watermelon wedges are a great finish. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Add a salad and lemon meringue pie.

Jean-Yves Jaulin's Mojhettes au Jambon

Salmorejo Cordobés In Córdoba, gazpacho is reduced to its most basic elements, with no cucumbers or peppers, and is known as salmorejo. It takes on a saucelike consistency but is still considered a soup and is served in small portions. It is scattered with chopped hard-boiled egg and julienne strips of serrano ham, both indispensable to achieving salmorejo's fullest flavor. Salmorejo is sometimes used as a dip.