Gordon Hamersley

As the tart bakes, some of the beet juice will color the custard and the goat cheese, giving each slice a pretty, almost marbleized look. Since the flavors are a riff on the classic beet, walnut, and goat cheese salad, this tart pairs especially well with greens tossed with a bright vinaigrette. A small slice also makes a somewhat unusual but delicious side dish to grilled lamb chops.

This flaky and light pastry dough works for savory as well as sweet tarts.

Sweet crabmeat and sweet peas make a great match in this springlike risotto.

Mushrooms are one of those foods for which proper technique makes all the difference. Cooked correctly—browned well, juices evaporated, and amply salted—they're full of flavor. Cooked badly—underseasoned and steamed instead of seared—they're slimy and insipid. The trick is to resist moving the mushrooms around in the pan. Cook them until they have colored on one side, then cook them on the other side, until their juices are almost completely gone, which concentrates their flavor. Seasoned well with coarse salt, they're irresistible.