Lettuce

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

In addition to assorted mustards, offer the pickled onions, tomato salsa, and pineapple relish. Hot dog buns can stand in for the pita, and bagged lettuce is an easy option. What to drink: Beer and lemonade will quench everyone's thirst.

An easy version of the famous Cobb salad.

Our tuna salad has a Mediterranean twist: olives and roasted red peppers. Have this sandwich for lunch at home or work or on a picnic, served with a tomato salad. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Dill is the secret seasoning in this hearty stew. Serve it with lots of bread.

Gorgonzola cheese adds zip to this salad.

"I am 76 and consider myself a very good cook," writes Dorothy Harley of Norco, California. "I've always looked forward to receiving your magazine. Some recipes I try, love, and make over and over. One recipe I remember most is a shrimp and avocado salad. For our 25th anniversary, I cleaned and cooked 25 pounds of shrimp myself for the dish — it was a hit. And for my daughter's wedding, 21 years ago, I made it again. I'm sure that if you reprinted the recipe, you'd receive praise." Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 25 hr (includes marinating)

The salty anchovies complement the briny sweetness of the crabmeat. Buttermilk lightens the dressing and makes this version of the classic Caesar especially delicious.

"In our family," writes Georgia I. Chletcos of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, "we have a saying that the Greek kitchen is the original twenty-four-hour diner: It never closes. And being from a Greek family, I can say unequivocally that food is the center of our lives. As I've gotten older, preserving this tradition has become more important to me, so I've started experimenting with family recipes, including this one." Enough for a large family and guests, too.

Serve with: Fresh sugar snap peas, grape tomato salad, and dinner rolls.