Instructions: I TRY to keep tomato preparations uncomplicated (and thus quick) to let the flavor of tomatoes come through. A simple salad of sliced tomatoes and sweet red onions with olive oil and balsamic vinegar is about as good as it gets, except perhaps for freshly made salsa with tomatoes, cilantro and jalapeno peppers.

Salsa also means sauce in Italian. Pureed or chopped tomatoes combined with garlic sauteed in olive oil make a quick marinara sauce for pasta. Even quicker is an uncooked tomato sauce seasoned with basil, olive oil and a hint of garlic.

Green beans are another vegetable that is usually better from local sources in summer. One key to cooking green beans quickly is to use no more than a quart of water for a pound of beans. Starting with hot tap water speeds up the process. For a side vegetable, try blanched green beans sauteed in butter and olive oil with shallots and bread crumbs. For a different taste, saute the green beans with lemon rind and minced anchovy fillet.

Green beans also can be combined with new potatoes and sweet onion in a warm salad. For a hearty side dish to go with roast chicken or lamb, quickly stew wider Romano or Italian green beans with tomatoes and black olives. In the tomato and mozzarella salad below, its as important to use truly fresh mozzarella (made that day, if you can find it) as it is to use ripe local tomatoes and local basil.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.