Corn

Here's a simple do-ahead salad that travels very well. It's also great as a side dish for grilled chicken or beef.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Dry-toasting the barley adds a nutty taste and helps the barley retain its texture in this excellent meatless dish.

Lane Crowther, A contributing editor at Bon Appétit, says that "For twenty-five years our family endured side dishes of canned creamed corn and sweetened baked squash—simply for the sake of tradition. With this soup, I was finally able to convince everyone that a few classic Thanksgiving ingredients (like corn and squash) could be combined in a delicious new way."

If you have leftover roast chicken or turkey, use it here and save a step. You'll need 3 cups of shredded meat.

Tonya Morrison of Lewis Center, Ohio, writes: "My husband and I had a wonderful time on our vacation to Kiawah Island, South Carolina. One night we had dinner at Rosebank Farms Café in Bohicket Marina Village. The recipe for their roast pork tenderloin with apple and raisin chutney would make a delicious souvenir." In this imaginative main course, the chutney adds a sweet, tart contrast to the herb-roasted pork and the rich, creamy corn.

Grilling husked corn on the cob produces nicely browned and sweetly caramelized kernels that are absolutely addictive. The garlic butter is a terrific finishing touch.

Here's a good example of Thomas Keller's culinary magic: Simple flavors come together spectacularly in this special dish from The French Laundry in Napa Valley.

Maple syrup lends sweetness and chipotle chilies add smoky heat to a terrific glaze for grilled corn on the cob.

Add corn bread, a crunchy chicory salad, and peach pie for summer supper at its best.

Use leftover roast chicken for this, or buy a cooked chicken at the market. For an extra-special treat, top each baked slice with a dollop of sour cream and sliced avocado.

Serve with: A black bean salad and burger toppings like pepper Jack cheese, lettuce, and sour cream. Hamburger buns are optional. Dessert: Dulce de leche ice cream and sliced strawberries.

"I run my own salon, and I’m an instructor at a cooking school," writes Sandy Ercolano of Ridgewood, New Jersey. "It seems that I’m always in the kitchen. At home I cook meals and come up with recipes for my classes. My son Andrew appears to have inherited my culinary interest. He likes to lend a hand with the cooking, especially with desserts. Unfortunately, he’s not as interested in helping with the cleanup."

"Cooking with friends — that's pretty much what my life has been about," writes Louise Pickerel of Muskogee, Oklahoma. "When I moved here from Texas ten years ago, it was hard to leave the people I'd known for so long, but I've probably met two hundred new people since then. I have always entertained, but now that I'm retired, I finally have more time to play bridge and cook." Louise likes to serve this chunky soup with ham or roast beef sandwich wraps.