Plum Tomato

The corn coulis also pairs nicely with pork tenderloin, shrimp, or grilled chicken. Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 45 min

Pita bread serves as the crust for this pizza-style dish. Look for prepackaged mixed black and green brine-cured olives in the deli section of most supermarkets. Serve with: Tabbouleh (bulgur salad), arugula salad with red wine vinaigrette, and marinated artichoke hearts.

(Fiori di Zucca Ripieni) Of all the aspects of Tuscan cuisine, not one stands out as much as its overwhelming variety of fresh vegetables. Zucchini is a favorite, of course, and so are the blossoms. The sweet, succulent flowers are prepared in countless ways, including fried, sautéed and, as in the following recipe, stuffed and baked. If you don't have zucchini in your garden, look for the blossoms in the supermarket or at a farmers' market. They are usually sold still attached to baby zucchini, which is how they are used in this recipe.

Serve this rustic tomato mixture over pasta or as part of an antipasto platter.

Paired with tortilla chips, this guacamole makes an excellent starter. Also offer chilled Mexican beer throughout the meal.

"I got the inspiration for this recipe from a dish we made in a cooking class I took recently," says Tracy McGillis of San Francisco, California. "I added a few twists and came up with my own tasty version."

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

To complete the menu, serve seeded Italian breadsticks and a salad of radicchio and marinated artichoke hearts tossed with balsamic vinaigrette. Spumoni ice cream is a perfect ending.

Serve this saucy dish with steamed rice or crusty French bread.

Veal chops from a butcher are usually about 1 1/4 inches thick and weigh 12 to 14 ounces each. The supermarket variety of chop is thinner and smaller, ranging from 8 to 10 ounces each, and would only need to be roasted 12 to 15 minutes in this recipe.

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

This is as delicious with mussels as it is with clams. Offer a simple green salad afterward, and pears and a wedge of Italian cheese for dessert.

This recipe accompanies Black Bean Soup with Cilantro-Tomato Salsa

Inspired by Vietnamese cuisine, this combination is also satisfying on its own as a meatless lunch.

The habanero, reputedly the "hottest chile in the world" has a complex, citrusy aroma and flavor. This salsa from the Yucatan is a classic accompaniment to meat and seafood cooked in an achiote recado a brick-red paste made with achiote, or annatto, seeds. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.