Tomato

This healthful vegetarian dish would be perfect for a picnic. To speed prep time, use trimmed sugar snap peas with the strings removed (find them in the produce section of many supermarkets).

Fire-roasted salsa adds depth of flavor to this fat-free soup; it can usually be found in the supermarket deli case.

We all have memories either of great or terrible meatloaf meals from childhood. My mom's meatloaf is a fond food memory. It was always moist and juicy, with a touch of Italy from the tomatoes and pecorino Romano cheese. It also passed the test of any respectable meatloaf: it made good sandwiches the next day.

For historic continuity, ferociously loyal community support, and an atmosphere that you could spread with a knife, you can't beat the hamburger joint Louis' Lunch, in New Haven, Connecticut. Since 1898, the Lassen family has been grinding its own beef daily, hand shaping patties to order, and grilling burgers on antique cast-iron broilers in front of live flames. (This answers the question once and for all — the proper way to cook a hamburger is by grilling, not by frying it on a griddle.) And as any regional American culinary landmark should be, Louis' Lunch is sufficiently quirky to allow melted processed cheese but militantly prohibit ketchup and mustard as accompaniments to its signature burgers. Here, then, is the next best thing to elbowing your way up to the counter at Louis'.

The aspic will be a deeper shade of red if made with canned tomatoes (see cooks' note, below), but fresh tomatoes will yield a brighter flavor.

Executive Food Editor: Zanne Early Stewart
Father: Hobe Early, Wilmette, IL
Our family first encountered tomato pudding nearly 50 years ago in northern Michigan, where we rented a summer house on Lake Charlevoix. It quickly became the mandatory side dish to whatever Dad was cooking on the grill.

Fagiolini in Umido Many versions of this simple, fresh, and flavorful contorno (vegetable side dish) are served in Italy. Lightly braising the green beans cooks them to a pleasingly crisp yet tender texture.

This is named after the town of Amatrice, not too far from Rome, where the sauce has long been prepared using the few ingredients that were always available: sun-ripened tomatoes, guanciale (salt-cured pork jowl), and a touch of firey peperoncino (dried hot chile).

This sauce, called caldillo de jitomate ("tomato broth"), has a consistency closer to a light tomato soup than an Italian marinara.

Maccheroni e Melanzane This is a pasta dish that is served in Sicilian homes and home-style restaurants, rather than upscale places. The recipe calls for perciatelli or bucatini, which is what Italians consider maccheroni.

Add more color to this dish by using a mix of red, yellow, and orange tomatoes.