Asparagus

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Boiling the vinegar concentrates and sweetens it, so the dressing doesn't require as much oil to balance the acid. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Serve this newfangled main-course salad with a crisp flatbread, such as lavash, and white wine or rosé spritzers.

A tangy sauce turns one of the classic spring vegetables into a lovely first course.

Although raw asparagus might seem unusual to those who have only eaten asparagus cooked, it is delicious. The slightly different flavor is highlighted in the following salad.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Israeli couscous, sometimes known as pearl pasta, is available at Middle Eastern markets. You could also order it from Joan's on Third in Los Angeles; 323-655-2285.

Serve this intensely flavored curry — made with Thai red curry paste and coconut milk from the supermarket's Asian foods section — over steamed jasmine rice. A side salad of bean sprouts drizzled with Asian salad dressing would be a cooling accompaniment; follow it with mango slices.

Risotto, by definition, is made with rice. But other grains—like the barley in this main-course recipe—can be prepared in the same style with equally terrific results. Toasting the barley enhances its nutty flavor and keeps it from getting soft and mushy.