Chive

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

This savory cheesecake from noted chef Marcel Desaulniers of The Trellis restaurant makes a standout first course for a large dinner party.

Truffle oil adds earthy nuances to this summer soup, but don't worry if you don't have any on hand: The soup will still be good without it. Open a nice bottle of Champagne to go with the meal.

This is delicious as an accompaniment to cooked shellfish and many white-fleshed fish.

A versatile alternative to couscous, this is a summer starch that doesn't have to be served warm. If you have fresh or cooked leftover vegetables in the kitchen, toss them in to make a main-course salad. You can also play with the herbs to suit the dishes this will accompany.

This recipe is a variation on the classic English dish toad in the hole, which combines Yorkshire pudding batter with English sausage. If desired, you may substitute Canadian bacon for the Irish bacon called for. You will need to sauté the Canadian bacon in 1/4 cup additional vegetable oil because it does not contain the same amount of fat as Irish bacon.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Once the polenta is made (which, for convenience, can be done a day or two ahead of time) this dish is a snap to put together. Simply sauté the polenta pieces, grill the flank steak, place them on the plate, and spoon on the luscious roasted shallot vinaigrette and you have a quick and very satisfying plate of food. A mound of sautéed mushrooms, or for something lighter, asparagus or haricots verts, is a perfect accompaniment. Crispy potatoes are a splendid substitute for the polenta.

Roasted peppers, marinated olives and artichoke hearts make good antipasti. Afterward, sprinkle melon slices with chopped fresh mint, and pass amaretti cookies.

Try these alongside egg dishes at brunch or with soup and salad for lunch.

"At the Charleston Grill in Charleston, South Carolina, we were overwhelmed by how delicious the grits were," write Neil and Judy Kleinman of Pasadena, California. "This spectacular side dish was made with goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, and was served in a small skillet."

These mashed potatoes are a great accompaniment to the bass fillets with mushrooms and the shrimp and endive. Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 40 min

To make this recipe even easier, prepare the toast points two hours ahead and store them in an airtight container at room temperature.

For this fabulous salad we used red onions, beets, zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers, but any mix of summer vegetables would work. The salad gets served with grilled bread and is nice with a white wine, like Sauvignon Blanc.

Although these are super-fast to make, you can assemble them the night before so that they're ready to bake in the morning.