Vegetarian

Even right off their prolific vines, summer squash can be watery and sometimes bitter. Cook them slowly in plenty of olive oil and they turn sweet but stay moist and summery, so you can take advantage of the beautiful golden color. As you cook the sliced squash, mash the rounds against the sides of the skillet to break them up. Then toss the squash with rigatoni, leaves of fresh basil, and crumbled goat cheese. The bright yellow pieces of squash coat the tubular pasta and the mixture tastes as creamy as if you had added a white sauce.

At Rice Valley in Newton, cooks use silken tofu, which they steam with shreds of ginger and scallion. Then they bathe the cubes in hot soy sauce and chicken broth. You don’t need a wok or steamer. Use a deep 12-inch skillet and round cake rack. Serve with white or brown rice. 

Palak means spinach; paneer is Indian cheese. 

"This recipe calls for broccoli, snow peas, carrots, and green beans, but you can use any of your favorites. The vegetables are stir fried with garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. Serve over your favorite rice."

It makes a great side dish, but this salad is even better as a pizza topping. Brush the pizza shell with olive oil, sprinkle it with sea salt and shredded mozzarella, then bake. When the pizza comes out of the oven, top it with the salad. 

"Tasty dish for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians; the tomato, onion and cheeses give it just the right zing. My children are pretty picky, and even they are willing participants in eating this eggplant dish! It's great the next day for leftovers, too!"

Rice has pride of place at the Korean table, but Koreans have also long embraced the healthful properties of other whole grains like millet, barley, and oats. This combination is fragrant and delicious.