No mere trifle: Sweet and savory layered recipes give summer a playful mouthfeel

Trifles are terrific. They don't require hard-to-find ingredients and draw lots of accolades for barely any work. They look the part whether it's a laid-back family get-together or a soiree on the patio decked with string lights.

We are not just talking about the sweet British import with layers of spongy cake, jam, fruits and custard. There also is the savory trifle, which has more oomph than a mere layered salad of lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and grated cheddar cheese. The bread at the bottom makes the salad a lot heartier, too.

A mixed vegetable trifle is more about construction than cooking. It will embrace just about any type of raw summer vegetable, which is sliced, diced or grated and assembled in a clear glass bowl over a layer of bread and drizzled with a delicious dressing.

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