Asparagus

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Here is a lovely seasonal dish that's fresh and delicate. Note that there is no raw fish in this recipe; the word sushi simply denotes that a dish features seasoned rice, which can be served with a variety of accompaniments, including raw seafood. This type of sushi is called chirashi-sushi (chirashi means "scattered"), and the rice is mixed with asparagus, thin strips of carrot, and cooked shrimp.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 20 min The tangy citrus and nutty flavors of the dressing make this asparagus a nice complement to the spiced chicken breast or to simply prepared fish.

This lively Asian-style salad is terrific on its own or teamed with roast chicken, roast lamb or broiled shrimp.

Here's a light, fresh-tasting soup-stew from Hotel Château Erenstein in Kerkrade, the Netherlands.

Here's a delicious recipe from chef Edwin Goto at The Lodge at Koele on the island of Lanai in Hawaii. In an homage to spring, the rich-tasting risotto is served on a bed of oven-roasted asparagus.

"One evening my husband made fantastic asparagus roasted with olive oil," says Anne Graziano of New York, New York. "It prompted me to create this salad that features the asparagus, as well as Gruy
re cheese, apple and fresh greens."

Making risotto is often thought to be an ordeal of stirring, but it really only takes about 20 minutes. In actuality, it's an easy dish, especially when it's the main course.

The dumplings can be assembled and chilled up to eight hours before steaming.

Round out the menu with sliced radicchio, fennel and roasted bell pepper salad; crisp flatbread; and apricot sorbet with cookies.

You can use frozen baby lima beans (with the same delicious result) instead of the fresh favas, which are harder to find.

Asparagus is a star of the season, as a side dish to any main course — chicken, fish, pork, beef, or lamb — or as a salad topped with a squeeze of lemon juice. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 30 min