LOS ANGELES -- There is no better way to spend a languid summer evening than by gathering with family or friends on the patio for a supper drawn from a table filled with colorful plates of delicious antipasti.

It's like eating at a trattoria in Italy: first, your aperitivo and a small bowl of olives, maybe some salumi sausage, and then a parade of fantastic little dishes prepared simply with fresh vegetables and herbs. Dishes such as Farro Salad, or quick Grilled Romaine Lettuce with Fava Beans And Pecorino cheese, or Romano beans sauteed with fresh oregano. They're basic and light but also pretty and tasty, cooked and dressed with a little vinegar, lemon juice, good olive oil or fresh herbs. They're not meaty or heavy.

Nothing has to be baked or fried or stuffed or wrapped. Everything can be served room temperature.

These fresh-tasting salads aren't just your garden-variety leafy greens; they're an inviting start to a meal. Offer one as a first course, or serve a few at a time to be enjoyed by the spoonful in combination with other antipasti.

At Fraiche restaurant in Culver City, chef-owner Jason Travi serves an appetizer salad made with farro, the barley-like grain that's firm and hearty and nutty.

He cooks the farro with a bouquet garni of bay leaf and a sprig of thyme, adds diced roasted red pepper and blanched English peas, then tosses the grain and vegetables with tarragon, basil, mint and parsley. The whole thing gets a light dressing of olive oil and lemon juice and is sprinkled with pecorino or ricotta salata, the Italian sheep's milk cheese that's mild, slightly nutty-sweet and a little crumbly.

Or saute flat, wide Romano beans with shallots, garlic and fresh oregano until the beans are tender but still have an edge of crispness. Cook them for a couple of minutes more with cherry tomatoes, then drizzle over a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar.

Take advantage of fresh favas while you still can; they're great with a splash of citrus and olive oil and chunks of pecorino. Match the beans with crisp charred romaine brushed with a little garlic-infused olive oil before being grilled.

Along with sips of a grassy Verdicchio wine or an herby Arneis, these charming first courses turn that eternal wait for dinner into a magic hour of anticipation.

ROMANO BEANS SAUTEED WITH OREGANO

This dish, from Los Angeles Times' test kitchen director Donna Deane, was inspired by a recipe from "Chez Panisse Vegetables."

Romano beans can be special ordered at Whole Foods stores, or substitute Italian flat beans available at farmers markets (cut the flat beans in half crosswise as they are usually long).

• 1 pound Romano beans
  
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh oregano leaves
  
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
  
• Freshly ground black pepper
  
• 1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
  
• 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Rinse the beans under cold running water. Drain, leaving any water clinging to the beans. Trim the ends and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the shallots and saute over medium heat about 1 minute. Add the garlic and continue to saute for 30 to 45 seconds, until tender and fragrant but not browned. Remove the sauteed shallots and garlic from the pan with a slotted spoon, pressing any excess oil back into the skillet. Set aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet. Once the oil is hot, add the beans, oregano leaves, salt and pepper to taste. Saute over medium heat, stirring frequently until the beans are browned in spots and tender but retain some crispness, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook 2 minutes. Stir in the sauteed shallots and garlic. Cook just until aromatic, about 30 seconds.

Remove the pan from heat and let the beans cool slightly. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and allow contents to cool to room temperature. Remove the salad from the pan to a serving platter.

Serves 4.

GRILLED ROMAINE WITH FAVA BEANS AND PECORINO

This recipe is from Donna Deane, director of the test kitchen at the Los Angeles Times.

• 1 pound fresh fava beans, shelled
  
• 2 tablespoons pecorino Romano cheese, cut in 1/4-inch cubes
  
• 4 1/2 tablespoons best-quality olive oil, divided
  
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  
• 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
  
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
  
• Cracked black pepper
  
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
  
• 1 small head (about 1/2 pound) romaine lettuce, quartered lengthwise

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, then add fava beans and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Break the outer skin of the fava and squeeze out the bean.

In a small bowl, toss the beans with the cubes of pecorino Romano. Stir in 3 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, chopped parsley, salt and cracked black pepper (about 4 grinds). Set aside and allow the beans to marinate while you grill the romaine.

In a cup or small bowl, combine the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and the minced garlic. Brush the quartered romaine with the garlic olive oil and place on an oiled grill over medium-high heat until the lettuce is lightly charred on all sides but still crisp in the center, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Place a grilled romaine quarter on each of 4 serving plates. Spoon an equal amount of the fava bean and pecorino mixture over the top of each and season with a few more grinds of black pepper.

Serves 4.

FARRO SALAD

This recipe for Farro Salad is from Fraiche chef-owner Jason Travi. To blanch the peas, place them in boiling water until just tender, about 1 minute, then immediately place them in an ice bath and drain.

• 1 1/4 cups uncooked farro
  
• 1 bay leaf and sprig of thyme tied together with kitchen string
  
• Salt
  
• 1 small red pepper
  
• 1/2 cup shelled English peas, blanched
  
• 2 tablespoons mixed chopped tarragon, basil, mint and parsley
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 4 to 6 tablespoons grated fresh pecorino cheese or ricotta salata

Wash and drain the farro. In a medium saucepan, cover farro with 4 cups cold water, then add the sachet of bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until the farro is tender, about 25 to 30 minutes, then drain. Let cool. You should have about 3 cups cooked farro.

While the farro is cooking, roast the red pepper on a rack over a gas burner over high heat, turning until all sides are blackened, about 10 minutes. Let the pepper stand in a covered bowl until cool, then peel and seed. Cut into medium dice. You will need 6 tablespoons diced pepper. Leftover pepper can be reserved for another use.

In a medium bowl, toss together the farro, roasted pepper, the peas and the mixed herbs. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and toss. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste.

Let the salad stand 10 minutes for the flavors to blend. Divide equally onto 4 to 6 plates and sprinkle with the freshly grated pecorino or ricotta salata.

Serves 4 to 6.