Tomato

This recipe serves 4 as a main course if you set aside 2 chicken breasts for another meal. Otherwise, it serves 6.

Greeks call puréed split peas fava, not to be confused with what we call fava beans. The combination of puréed split peas and honey-kissed eggplant compote makes for a very comforting dish.

Tapered eggplants and a mix of large and medium tomatoes will give your stacks a more graceful appearance.

Stars and studio moguls often do their wheeling and dealing at this legendary Hollywood haunt, where Catherine Zeta-Jones and Tyra Banks have been seen. Chef Sam Marvin tweaks dishes to anyone's liking (A-lister or otherwise) and purchases the freshest ingredients daily from local farmers' markets. Think of this colorful bowl as an alphabet soup of vitamins, delivering a healthy dose of A, B6, C, and K, not to mention lycopene, a potent antioxidant.

Head north of Sunset, and you will happen upon this live-music supper club tucked away in the hills of tony Bel Air. The swank venue features a stage surrounded by tables where you can spy toe-tapping regulars such as Nicolette Sheridan and Virginia Madsen taking in the soulful jazz tunes. You can make a meal of chef Sharon Funt's delicious flatbread appetizer; each serving provides more than 8 grams of fiber.

Healthy bonus: Protein, vitamin B12, and niacin from tuna

Healthy bonus: Fiber and protein from lentils; vitamin A from carrots

Planking is one of Ted Reader's favorite ways to cook because it simultaneously bakes, grills, and smokes the meat or fish. It's an especially good technique for barbecuing fish, which has a tendency to flake and fall apart on the grill. For this recipe, begin soaking the cedar plank one day ahead. what to drink: J.L. Wolf 2003 Riesling, Wachenheimer Belz, Pfalz, Germany ($20).

To make this fresh American rendition of panzanella (the Italian bread-and-tomato salad), bake the cornbread one day ahead so that it will be firm enough to toast on the grill.

A bold medley of cumin, cayenne, corn, and cilantro ups the flavor here. Great with: Grilled-fish tacos, steak fajitas, or chipotle-rubbed chicken.

Tony Matranga of Los Angeles, California, writes: "When I started cooking, the process was a mystery to me. I would try to re-create other people's dishes but couldn't get them quite right. After working in an Italian bakery and several restaurants, and observing chefs, I began piecing together recipes and finally came up with some great results of my own." These versatile tomatoes can also be used in pasta sauce, on pizzas, or as part of an antipasto platter.

We prefer Nova salmon for this particular recipe because it's the mildest and least salty. Although Nova has become a general term for smoked salmon, it really describes the delicacy made from fish descended from wild Nova Scotia salmon.

Whether you use heirloom, beefsteak, or cherry, this simple dish is all about the tomatoes. Be sure to use the ripest ones you can find for the best results.

This colorful side dish gets a hint of heat from roasted poblano chiles. Its bold flavors make it a great accompaniment to grilled meats.

If you get a package containing two tenderloins of uneven size, you may have to cook the larger one a little longer than the smaller one. Prepare all the sauce ingredients before grilling the pork, then cook it while the pork stands.