Corn

Summer corn and vine-ripened tomatoes are already close to perfection, and they taste best when prepared simply. Here, the corn is sautéed with scallions in butter, the tomatoes are lightly dressed with oil and cider vinegar, and then the two components are tossed together so that their flavors and juices mix into something new.

Ready your griddle. These pancakes capture the golden sweetness of corn cut from the cob. Drizzle warm maple syrup on them for breakfast or serve them as a side dish with salsa and sour cream.

This one-pot meal—lobster, corn, and green beans—conjures summer in New England. The simple sesame mayonnaise is outstanding for dunking and slathering.

Summer—with its great produce—is a good time to go vegetarian.

This addictive appetizer is a delicious combination of sour cream, cheese, and corn. A little minced jalapeño adds heat.

Grilled avocado is one of those things that sound faintly ridiculous until you try it—then you wonder why you never had it before.

This chowder is easy to make and requires only one pot. The salmon comes out tender and is a good match with the dill and potatoes. For a smokier flavor, roast the ears of corn directly over the fire before removing the kernels. If you don't have fresh salmon, frozen will work fine, or you can use smoked salmon. If using smoked salmon, cut back on the salt for seasoning.

I really love this soup. The flavors will remind you of corn chowder, but the texture is much lighter. The soup is bright and fresh and can be made year-round since it tastes just as good when using frozen corn as it does when using fresh.

This shows how well green beans play with other vegetables.

Be anything but crabby after enjoying this sunny citrus bisque. You'll net half your daily folate needs per bowl.

Make this salad for lunch but serve it hot at dinner first. To give kids extra protein at lunch, add 1/2 cup finely chopped cold cooked chicken and round it out with a small whole-wheat roll and an apple.

You can ease the kids into fall (and school) with this Cuban-inspired salad made with sweet late summer corn and protein-packed black beans. To make it even more of a main dish, toss in some shredded cooked chicken, thinly sliced and cut-up grilled steak, or barbecued pork or shrimp. Add a few bits of fresh basil or baby spinach just before packing.

We have found that bacon gives the corn a nice smoky flavor, but it doesn't get brown and crispy. You can either eat it with the corn or peel it off.

In a country known for its fascinating, wide-ranging cuisine, ceviche just may be Peru's national dish. Combinations of sparklingly fresh raw fish marinated in a piquant dressing (often made with ají amarillo and lime juice) are served everywhere, from the lowliest fish shacks to the finest restaurants. For food-safety reasons, we choose to gently poach the scallops, but otherwise, this version, accented by tender sweet-potato cubes, chewy kernels of choclo (a type of Andean corn), and red bell pepper, is entirely classic. Don't forget to drink up the delicious liquid that remains after the ceviche has been eaten. Peruvians prize this leche de tigre as a hangover cure.

Think of it as an adult happy meal: This hearty bowl provides a healthy dose of mood-improving B vitamins.

Cups of this calming grain tea, extolled for its digestive properties, are poured throughout Korean meals as Westerners would provide water. In the winter, the tea is usually served hot, while in the summer months, it comes cool or at room temperature.

This customizable dinner is made to be deconstructed. Set out the fillings, and let the kids assemble their own at the table.

This no-cook quickie dinner is less than 18 percent fat. Dig in!

This nontraditional spin-off of an old-fashioned favorite makes a fun dinner-party appetizer plate or main course for more intimate gatherings.