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1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon chili powder

8 ears corn, husked

Heat a grill to medium-high.

In a small bowl, combine the butter, salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, and chili powder. Use a fork to mash everything to a smooth paste.

Rub a generous amount of the butter mixture over each ear of corn. Wrap each ear in foil, then grill for 4 to 5 minutes.

HOW LONG? 10 MINUTES

HOW MUCH? 8 SERVINGS

Fiery Fruit Salad

Trust me on this one. Sweet and heat are awesome together. And this brightly flavored salad will cut through anything heavy, such as barbecue chicken or mayo-heavy potato or pasta salads. If you refrigerate it, let it stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

If jalapeños aren’t your thing, use thinly sliced fresh basil. The mild, peppery bite of basil is a perfect companion to fruit.

2 pints strawberries, hulled and halved

1 pint blueberries

3 apples, cored and diced

2 pears, cored and diced

2 cups seedless red grapes, halved

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 teaspoon finely minced jarred jalapeño pepper slices

Pinch salt

In a large bowl, combine the strawberries, blueberries, apples, pears, and grapes. Toss gently to mix. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cider vinegar, jalapeño peppers, and salt.

Drizzle the dressing over the fruit and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.

HOW LONG? 15 MINUTES

HOW MUCH? 8 SERVINGS

Stacked and Broiled Fresh Mozzarella with Tomatoes

No prosciutto? Bacon will taste just as good, but will take a bit longer to cook. It also will produce more fat, so be sure to pat it with paper towels after frying it.

For even stacking, select mozzarella balls that are about the same size as the tomatoes.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 slices prosciutto

2 large slicing tomatoes, such as beefsteak

2 medium balls fresh buffalo mozzarella (about 1 pound total)

8 large fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Place the rack in the middle position and heat the oven to broil.

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the prosciutto and cook until well browned and crispy, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Trim and discard the ends of each tomato. Cut each tomato into 4 thick slices. Use a serrated knife to cut each ball of mozzarella into 4 slices.

Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange 4 slices of tomato on the baking sheet, then top each with a slice of cheese.

Continue stacking, alternating tomato and cheese. Each stack should have 2 slices of tomato and 2 slices of cheese, with cheese as the final layer.

Broil the stacks until the top slices of cheese are lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer each stack to a serving plate.

Top each stack with basil. Crumble a bit of prosciutto over each, then drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

HOW LONG? 15 MINUTES

HOW MUCH? 4 SERVINGS

Potato Tart with Manchego, Spinach, and Thyme

Much as I love her sense of style, I had to break up with Martha Stewart a few years ago. I dumped her for Rachael Ray, who told me dirty jokes about almonds.

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Spend half a day with each of these wonderful ladies chatting about cooking up the perfect romantic dinner for two for Valentine’s Day. They’d share their recipes with me, then I’d share them with you.

All was well until I got back to the test kitchen. Martha’s menu for multiple soufflés and pasta with white truffles was luscious, but beyond my skills. Clearly, I never could woo Martha.

Rachael, however, was the woman for me. Her steak dinner had me in and out of the kitchen in no time.

This easy tart was inspired by one of Rachael’s recipes. Try this alongside a steak, an omelet, or a bowl of chicken or