Eating

$3 for a huge serving of satisfying flavors, textures, protein, calcium, fiber, Vitamins A, B and C and iron. Earthy, crisp, sweet, smoky, salty. Very low Glycemic Load. Here's your chance to find out what cocido is.

Savory, sweet and spicy. Not your grandma's fruit salad. Extremely flavorful, satisfying and light. Less than 50 calories - pretty good for weather that discourages exercise. Prepare it in advance and refrigerate. Keep your cool at mealtime.

A chilled bowl of refreshing, smooth, slightly spicy soup you know and love. With two twists that make it a complete meal by adding sweet and salty. And luscious and chewy. A whole new way to think about and enjoy a summer favorite.

Less than 50 cents for a big serving of a deeply and brightly flavored vegetable course that'll stand up to anything from the barbecue. Delivers more than a day's worth of vitamins A, C and K with less than 100 calories and a near-zero Glycemic Load.

A really delicious dress-up party for hot dogs and cole slaw. Turns a weenie roast into an impressive-looking dinner that tastes like one you're going to make again and again. If you're an omnivore, you'll be thrilled by this deliciously rich but not heavy meal.

Nothing much better than a ripe peach, with the possible exception of Peach Ginger Shortcake. Make the ginger shortcake biscuit dough in 5 minutes flat. 10 minutes in a 450-degree oven later, you've got a killer dessert for $1.

A BLT posing as a pizza. A huge mound of exceptionally fresh flash-baked greens on a hot, fresh pizza crust. Delicious. Another example of pizza crust as the perfect platform for almost everything fresh and tasty. Dinner for 2 for $2.

Really. No eggplant. No chicken. No veal. Stay with me here. This turns out to be a fantastic summer meal. The light, luscious, aromatic vegetarian dish of the month. Totally satisfying warm or cool.

You barely notice a leaf or two stuck between tomato and bacon. But pile the lettuce high, dress it up right and you've got a big, fat lettuce sandwich that's light, refreshing, crunchy and luscious.