Diced avocado makes a nice garnish to this soup, but you could also easily serve it on its own.

The batter whisks up so light in this fresh dish, it's hard to believe these waffles (or pancakes) are fully whole wheat.

Green tomatoes are simply unripe red tomatoes -- hence their lower sugar content and slightly sour taste. Charring makes them softer and easier to peel. To grill the shrimp use 8-inch wooden skewers, which you'll find in some supermarkets and kitchenware stores.

Salting the eggplant removes some of its water, which makes for better grilling.

Consider adding a small handful of edible flowers to this light salad as a beautiful (and tasty) garnish. Serve promptly for freshness.

To ease mealtime preparation, cook the corn and beans early in the day, toss them with olive oil and smashed garlic, and keep them in the refrigerator. To remove corn kernels from the cob, hold the ear upright on its flat end on a cutting board; with a sharp knife, cut along the length of the cob to remove the kernels, turning the cob as you go.

This cooling vegetable turns down your inner heat. Here, we pair it with crab for a light, summery salad.

Juicy, ripe peaches star in this easy-to-make dessert, but you can also substitute other stone fruits like nectarines or plums -- or even combine several. To make mealtime preparation easier, consider preparing this crisp in advance and then keeping it at room temperature for a few hours. Just before serving, reheat it in a warm oven.

In this dessert, ricotta holds the berries in place while providing a wonderfully creamy texture and slightly sweet flavor.