Mint

The delicate, refreshing flavor of fresh mint leaves infuses the cream used to make the peppermint filling. You'll need a stand mixer to make the pastry.

Made with crisp radishes, salty olives, and feta, and dressed with minted olive oil and lemon, this salad really sings. Not technically a grain, but rather the seed of an herb, quinoa hails from South America. (It is often called a "supergrain" because it contains more protein than any grain.) Bulgur comes from the hulled, cracked berries of whole wheat, and has a nutty flavor.

The sweetness of the pears and honey in this recipe are a nice foil for the savory ricotta.

Use any combination of ripe melons that you can find. Charentais (or Cavaillon), delicious French melons with orange flesh, are at farmers' markets now, while Galia (sweet and aromatic, similar to honeydew) and Sharlyn (a white-fleshed variety that tastes like a combination of honeydew and cantaloupe) are increasingly available at supermarkets.

Italy meets Greece in a dish that pairs well with grilled lamb or chicken. What to drink: A crisp Pinot Grigio or Grüner Veltliner.

Make this Turkish-inspired side dish into a light summer main course by adding grilled shrimp or chicken or by simply sprinkling with goat cheese. What to drink: Assyrtiko (a white varietal from Greece), Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon Blanc.

In this perfect no-cook dish you can substitute crumbled bacon for the chicken or just omit the meat altogether.

Healthy bonus: Antioxidants from tea, 5 calories per glass

This calorie bargain, the second winner from Red Mountain, owes its flavor to chef Luethje's mix of Thai chile paste, fresh ginger, and raita, an Indian yogurt salad. The shrimp supplies lean protein, the yogurt calcium.

Jan Esterly of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, writes: "Even though it gets cold where I live, I love grilling outside year-round. I make this amazing recipe only during summer, when I can buy perfect peaches from the roadside stands — like now." Jan also likes to serve these sweet-tart peaches with ice cream and waffles.

Improv: Add or substitute corn on the cob, eggplant slices, or portobellos.

This drink contains a refreshing combination of ingredients — the herbaceous mint, the tart lime, the hot, spicy ginger, and the crisp, bright gin. When used in drinks, gin's botanicals have the ability to cut through the sweetness of liqueurs and sugar. The botanicals stimulate the palate and keep it feeling fresh and clean. Gin also pushes flavors "forward" (much the way a squeeze of lemon does) without altering the flavor profiles. This recipe makes 1 gallon, which yields approximately 25 to 30 drinks, depending on the size of the highball glasses. This sounds like a lot, but it's not. A gallon would go very quickly for a party of 6 people. For home entertaining, you can premix all of the liquids a couple of hours ahead and then store in the refrigerator. When you're ready to serve the drinks, just mete out the liquid into a mixing glass and muddle a sprig of mint into each. It makes enjoying your own party a lot easier, rather than having to worry about continual prep. And please, no shortcuts here: Do not presqueeze the lime juice more than only a few hours ahead. It loses its vitality quickly. And do not infuse the mint into this (or any drink). It takes on a funky, vegetal quality, which mars the taste of the drink. Using commercial ginger beer is not recommended, as it is too sweet. Nonalcoholic note: Without gin, this makes a very refreshing nonalcoholic beverage!

Breakfast often comes later when you're on vacation, so we figure it's okay to indulge in this refreshing Mimosa alternative. It's important to use pure mango nectar here (though it may not be labeled "pure"); nectar mixed with other fruit juices or high-fructose corn syrup makes the drink too sweet.