Eating

Just an experiment. Injecting new life into a hamburger. With a hot dog. Perfect for those moments when you just can't decide. Hamburger? Or hot dog? Even if you're not having trouble with the decision, this hamburger-hot dog hybrid tastes good.

Substantial but not heavy. Cook the beans with fresh sage, garlic and a little bacon. A totally rich and mellow layer of beans to put under those fresh and very slightly bitter escarole greens. Greens a little smoky from the grill.

What every zucchini wants to be when it's time. Delicious. They're everywhere. At their peak. Cheap. Unless you really rather eat them raw, this is the way to enjoy Summer squash. A light crunchy crust that protects the sweet flavors of Summer squash and aromatic basil.

A sandwich that wanted to be a salad. To take advantage of Cheap, plentiful early Summer greens at their seasonal peak. So the lettuce is on the outside and the bread's on the inside. An all-American BLT. Just a little confused.

A big salad 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 two for $2.

Here's to a hand-held Fourth of July. No disposable plates and utensils for the landfill. No washing dishes. Just your hands. Start with a really good hot dog on a fresh corn tortilla. Add some Salsa Verde. Fireworks in your mouth.

The squash is Summer sweet. Still a little crisp. The crust is crunchy and chewy. The thyme is intensely aromatic. The mozzarella is gooey and rich; the parmiggiano is nutty and slightly salty. A beautiful Summer meal for $2.

Rhubarb's everywhere right now. Ripe and Cheap. The season for a tart but luscious Upside Down Cake. Takes about 10 minutes and $4 to prepare. Makes 10 -12 happy people.