But there's one big difference: Most of the vegetables will have been cooked, and not just a little bit — they'll be almost limp. There's another difference as well: They will be delicious.

While modern cooks have made a cult of crispness since the introduction of nouvelle cuisine in the 1970s, it pays to remember that sometimes long cooking brings out flavor.

Well-cooked vegetables have depth and richness. Though some of their bright colors might have faded, and their textures softened to the point that they flop lazily on a fork, this gives them a cool languor that is infinitely appealing when the weather is scorching.

You can serve these vegetables as the Spanish and Italians would, as appetizers. Or you can complement them with sliced salami, prosciutto or chorizo, or a piece of good cheese. Add a glass of wine to make an elegant light dinner.

Under the common heading of "long-cooked vegetables" is a variety of ingredients and techniques.

All sorts of vegetables can be grilled. Brush slices of eggplant and zucchini with olive oil and grill them over a medium-hot fire until they are tender. As they come off the grill, layer them on a platter with fresh herbs and sprinkle with olive oil and good vinegar.

You can prepare vegetables the way the Italians do in scapece. Fry eggplant, zucchini and even carrots in hot oil until they're just brown, then dress them with vinegar and fresh herbs and set them aside so the flavors can marry.

Even more simply, grill whole bell peppers until their skins are shriveled and start to blacken.

After they have cooled, peel away the papery skin and toss the peppers with olive oil, sliced garlic and sherry vinegar. A generous grating of black pepper gives a nice bottom to the flavor.

If you're tired of grilled and fried eggplant, try steaming it. This sounds crazy, but it really works. Cut the eggplant (peeled or not) into chunks and steam until the flesh is extremely tender (7 or 8 minutes). The flavor stays pure and clean. After it's cooked, toss the eggplant with minced garlic and herbs, olive oil and lemon juice.

Or roast tomatoes: Grind fresh bread cubes to crumbs with garlic and basil; slice off the top third of fresh tomatoes and squeeze out the seeds. Jam the tomatoes tightly into a well-oiled baking dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs, drizzle with
olive oil, and bake at 400 degrees until the crumbs are brown and crusty.

The tomatoes will shrink and shrivel in their own juices, concentrating the flavor and becoming custard-like in texture.

My favorite method for fixing well-cooked vegetables is braising. As the flesh softens, it not only develops flavor, but absorbs the flavors of other ingredients cooked with it.

In general, vegetable braises proceed this way: Sauté onion and garlic in a little oil (butter tends to solidify and become grainy if the dish is served cool) to build a flavor base.

Next, add the main ingredient. Be sure to cut the vegetable in large pieces so it will cook long enough to develop flavor without falling apart. Cook briefly in the flavoring mixture and add a little water to start the braising (the vegetable will release its own moisture).

Finally, reduce the heat to low and cook long enough to coax the flavor out of the vegetable. This can take as little as 20 minutes for a soft vegetable such as zucchini or as long as an hour for meaty Romano beans.

You've probably noticed that some sort of acid — vinegar or lemon juice — is a prominent component of these dishes. Because the acidity is so important, be sure to taste and add more, if necessary, just before serving.

And because the vegetables are served at room temperature, they might require a little more seasoning than you would expect. What might taste perfectly seasoned right out of the pan could need a little boost by the time it is ready to serve.

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BRAISED ZUCCHINI WITH MINT AND LEMON

(Serves 4 to 6)

2 pounds zucchini

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup finely diced onion

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Zest of 1/2 lemon

Salt

1 tablespoon chopped mint, divided

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Cut the ends from the zucchini, slice in quarters lengthwise, then cut the quarters in half crosswise to get large pieces of zucchini about 2 to 3 inches long.

In a heavy-bottomed skillet, warm the olive oil and onion over medium-low heat until the onion softens and becomes fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Add zucchini, garlic, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon mint and 2 tablespoons of water and stir well to combine. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini are extremely tender and almost translucent, about 25 minutes. There should be some liquid in the bottom of the pan.

Remove lid, add lemon juice and increase heat to high. When the liquid begins to bubble, remove from heat and set aside uncovered. When the zucchini reach a warm room temperature, stir in remaining 2 teaspoons mint and pine nuts. Taste and add more salt and lemon juice, if necessary.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

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BRAISED ROMANO BEANS WITH PANCETTA AND CHERRY TOMATOES

(Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer or side dish)

1/4 pound pancetta (1 slice about 1/2-inch thick)

3 tablespoons olive oil

11/4 cups chopped onions, about 1 medium

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

11/2 pounds Romano beans, stems removed and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 tablespoon minced fresh basil

Unroll pancetta and cut into pieces about 1/2-inch long. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add pancetta and cook until the meat is well-browned and has rendered much of its fat, about 8 minutes.

Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat, return pan to the heat and add the onions. Cook until onions are tender, about 3 minutes.

Add garlic and Romano beans and stir them with the onions and pancetta. Add salt and 3/4 cup water and reduce heat to medium.

Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are silky in texture and flavorful, about 45 minutes. If the mixture begins to cook dry, add a little water.

When the beans are cooked, remove lid and cook long enough to evaporate most of the remaining water, about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and add cherry tomatoes. Cook until they are warmed through.

Serve either warm or at room temperature, first stirring in the basil and tasting to correct the seasoning.