Tomato

Chef Jimmy Shaw cooks up tacos that stars can enjoy without guilt. Authentic Mexican dishes like this one are flavorful and naturally lowfat, he says.

The many components of this big salad—served side by side on a platter—all have quite different flavors and textures and go together brilliantly.

In July, the abundance of ripe tomatoes means making your own tomato juice is a breeze, and fresh juice, in turn, means a truly superb Bloody Mary. With a range in the amounts of horseradish, Tabasco, and lemon juice, you can customize the drinks to your liking. The final flourish, rimming the glasses with sea salt and black pepper, adds a slight tingle to each sip.

In recent years, panini-type grilled sandwiches have taken center stage, but there is nothing like a freshly made club sandwich. The triple-decker here amplifies the classic flavors of a BLT with sliced hard-boiled eggs, chive mayo, and a jumble of herbs.

Summer corn and vine-ripened tomatoes are already close to perfection, and they taste best when prepared simply. Here, the corn is sautéed with scallions in butter, the tomatoes are lightly dressed with oil and cider vinegar, and then the two components are tossed together so that their flavors and juices mix into something new.

Sandwiching meaty black sea bass fillets together with an aromatic filling of red onion and fresh oregano perfumes the fish as it roasts. It tastes—and looks—wonderful topped with a colorful salad of small tomatoes, olives, and more oregano. The peppery, lemony herb, native to the Mediterranean, is a natural with fish.

A whole head of roasted garlic lays the foundation for an eggplant spread that's silky and satisfying, while chopped sun-dried tomatoes, fresh parsley, basil, and lemon add a healthy dose of sunshine, brightening its flavor and color. Serve it with thin slices of toasted baguette for a great take on crostini.

Bok choy goes on a Peter Mayle—inspired holiday to Provence in this versatile side dish or, tossed over rice, light back-porch supper.

These colorful tartlets are quite simple to put together. One easy custard recipe is the basis for a trio of very different fillings (the ingredients can be doubled or tripled if one is a real favorite).

The compote here is a reminder that the tomato is a fruit, and its natural sweetness plays up that of peach. The combination is great with juicy curry-rubbed pork.

The term shell bean generally refers to any bean that has to be removed from the pod before eating.

Shawarma is the Middle Eastern version of a large vertical shish kebab known as doner kebab in Turkey and gyro in Greece. It's made by impaling layers of meat on an oversize spit with a flat base and roasting the meat in an upright rotisserie. There are at least three advantages to this singular method of cooking. The dripping fat bastes the meat below it; the meat is sliced to order (at least it should be) from the outside, which gives every customer a crusty end cut; and because the crusty meat slices are piled on pita bread with fresh vegetables, pickles, and tahini sauce, you get a whole meal—and a healthful one—in a single sandwich. Traditionally, shawarma was made with lamb, but more and more Israeli grill masters use thinly sliced chicken or turkey. Shawarma is easy to prepare if you have a vertical rotisserie, and somewhat more challenging to adapt to the home grill. But direct-grilling the turkey slices does give you a close approximation of the taste and texture of classic shawarma.

A great side dish—or afternoon snack.

Look for marinated feta in the refrigerated section of the supermarket where other specialty cheeses are sold.

Summer—with its great produce—is a good time to go vegetarian.

This recipe originally accompanied Turkey Shawarma .

This recipe originally accompanied Baja Fish Tacos .

Mahimahi has a large, moist, and pleasantly firm flake. Topping it with briny feta, herbs, and lemon slices evokes the warm shores of Greece.

No bottled tomato sauce can equal a simple homemade one—especially when the robust flavor of the grill is added to the mix.

This satisfyingly viscous, tomatoey condiment is richer and more rustic in flavor than commercial brands. It is absolutely delicious.