If you use a charcoal grill, as opposed to a gas or electric one, you know that the optimum moment for grilling depends upon a lot of factors, not the least of which is the weather or the way the fire was built. If you deal with those kinds of vagaries, this is the perfect recipe to

make. The salmon can be marinated and grilled ahead; it can even be refrigerated several hours in advance of serving. All you really have to factor in is the half hour that is needed for it to stand at room temperature to come to full flavor.

A Mexican spice rub enhances the sweet taste of red snapper. This entrée makes an easy summer meal with a salad and a bottle of crisp wine. Try it with the fresh cucumber and avocado combination we suggest below. You will feel as if you were dining in Veracruz.

Poaching guarantees moist fish, and here tomatoes, fennel seeds, and white wine provide subtle flavor. If your fish market does not carry halibut fillets, use halibut steaks, cut 1 inch thick. While we like these with Pickled Vegetable Relish because it makes such a crisp counterpoint to the halibut, an herbed or spicy mayonnaise works nicely, too. A grain or green salad as an accompaniment, and there is the menu.

A simple poaching liquid, the French court bouillon, imparts flavor to cod fillets that are then topped with a Mediterranean-style fresh tomato sauce. You can make the sauce a day in advance if you like. It is also very appealing on roasted pork loin or grilled shrimp.

Tangy goat cheese and sautéed sweet peppers make a winning combination with lentils. This is simple to put together and quick to assemble, and has a subtle French feel to it. Serve with a platter of charcuterie, cold cuts, and a baguette.

Lentils and sausage is a classic combination. We especially like to use French green lentils here, which have, in fact,only a slight green tint to them. They are smaller than their cousins, brown lentils, and their taste is somewhat grassy, the reason to try them. Look for them in specialty markets.

From a purely practical point of view, lentils, unlike beans, do not need to be soaked in advance of cooking. They also cook in about half the time. This makes a luscious weekend meal, with soup and a great bread.

Flageolets are actually immature pod beans that are picked and removed from their pods when still green. Originally cultivated in the Americas, they were adopted by the French in the nineteenth century. Their taste, like their color, is delicate. They go beautifully with the assertive flavors of peperonata, which, as the word suggests, includes bell peppers, lots of tomatoes, garlic, and several surprises Nancy likes to add to the pot. Peperonata is also delicious just as is on chewy, crusty bread.

Creamy chickpeas, bitter broccoli rabe, sweet shallots, and a snappy red pepper puree the combination looks great and tastes good, too. In case you are thinking you might like to use canned chickpeas as a way of saving time, we don't recommend it. The texture of soaked, slowly simmered chickpeas is what you want here.