Basil

This hearty gratin resembles a savory bread pudding. Tomatoes, aromatic basil, and parmesan cheese give it an Italian flair.

Food editor Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez's southern Italian grandmother makes this dish every September. The eggplants get a workout, but the result is worth the effort.

Each spoonful of this French country-style soup delivers the warming taste of sun-ripened tomatoes and luxurious saffron.

Allow this salad to sit a few minutes after tossing; the mozzarella milk and tomato juices emerge and add flavor to the dressing.

Chef Michael Schlow of Boston's Via Matta created this dish for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program. The sweet and tangy strawberries are delicious on their own, but for a more decadent dessert, serve with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

Chef Michael Schlow of Boston's Via Matta created this dish. Serve with Schlow's Crunchy Green Bean Salad.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Stonewall Kitchen Favorites. To read more about the book, click here. When people travel to Maine they want to eat lobster, and this sandwich — created by chef Cheryl Lewis — has become the number-one-selling dish at the Stonewall Kitchen Café. You can prepare the basil aïoli, the lobster salad, and the bacon up to 8 hours ahead of time and assemble the sandwiches at the very last minute. On a hot summer day or night, this sandwich makes an elegant and easy main course, accompanied by tangy coleslaw or potato salad. The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for a crowd. This recipe makes two very generous sandwiches; you will easily have enough for three to four more modest sandwiches.

Chef Michael Mina created this dish for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program. He loves this multicomponent dish because it is the essence of summer.

This is an unusual use for pistou, a Provençal variant of pesto made of basil, garlic, olive oil, and salt. It's normally stirred into simple vegetable soups to give them some oomph, but it brings the same lively savoriness to green beans, contrasting nicely with their buttery quality. Don't worry about being knocked over by raw onions on top of all the other strong flavors-soaking them in cold water for 15 minutes removes some of their pungency while preserving their crunch.

Quinotto de Hongos y Camarones
This dish—quinoa prepared risotto-style—is so good, you'll forget it's good for you. Quinoa, whose name means "mother grain," is indigenous to Peru and dates from the time of the Inca civilization. Compared with other grains, quinoa is very high in protein and relatively low in carbohydrates. If you're pressed for time, we found a great substitute for fresh clam broth.

In this innovative use of zucchini, the vegetable adds body to the mussel-filled broth without being overpowering.

Improv: Substitute chopped red or yellow bell peppers for the tomatoes in the salad; try basil instead of cilantro in the dressing.

Susan Elizabeth Fallon of Boxford, Massachusetts writes: "I love to create new recipes to share with my husband, nine-year-old son, and friends. For me, that's the fun and adventure of cooking. I believe that eating well means using fresh, high-quality ingredients, so I'm choosy about what I buy and I grow many of my own herbs." Here's just what to do with all those tomatoes you have now. This versatile dish is great as a side, on toasted baguette slices, as a zesty omelet filling, or atop grilled fish.

All of the ingredients that make gazpacho so yummy — tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and bell peppers — turn up in this main-course salad.

Corn grilled in its husk isn't just easy, it's also more delicious than grilled shucked corn. The silk adds sweetness and also provides an extra layer of moisture that protects the kernels from the heat so they stay tender.

Goat cheese makes a lovely base for fresh herbs, carrying their flavor and punctuating their brightness with its gentle tang; in this spread, it tastes particularly mild because of the little bit of whipped cream folded in. Take the cheese out to soften before heading for the farmers market, and by the time you get back, it will be ready to mix with whatever herbs you've found there.

This dish focuses on the goodness of ripe tomatoes, letting them be just what they're meant to be — wonderful.