Chive

Use this versatile sauce as a dip for crudités, a dressing for cold fish or chicken, and as a substitute for mayonnaise. Tofu makes it virtually fat-free.

These are excellent with beet soup.

A very popular restaurant dish that's easy to re-create at home.

When poaching eggs for a crowd, we've found the baking pan method below to be almost foolproof. Have a friend help you wrap the eggs in salmon before they get cold. If you're working on your own, you may want to simply drape the salmon over the eggs.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

Simmering cobs in the corn-broth mixture gives the soup extra flavor.

Slicing this sturdy cut of beef very thinly after grilling makes it more tender. What to drink: Spicy, jammy Zinfandel from California pairs beautifully with barbecue — as does pale ale.

Using the freshest eggs possible is the key to great poached eggs. This dish makes a savory breakfast or, when paired with a salad, a satisfying brunch.

"Last summer I attended an event at the Three Clock Inn in South Londonderry, Vermont. The chef prepared a lovely luncheon, and it included delicious crab cakes," Bill Brett of Bondville, Vermont. "When I went home, I came up with my own version." The crab cakes are loaded with fresh crabmeat and are accented by a tangy sauce.

Rather than making herbs part of a green salad, why not make these fresh, flavorful greens the salad. The idea comes from Paris chef Alain Passard, who years ago served me an all-tarragon salad at his Left Bank restaurant, Arpège. When tarragon is fresh in the market or your garden overflows with this extraordinarily powerful herb, why not serve it with honor as a salad on its own? Years later Passard expanded what I call "the tarragon tangle" to a full-scale mixed herb salad—just a few well-dressed bites on a small salad plate—as an accompaniment. The idea really is to mix and match judiciously. Just don't use so many herbs that they lose their personality. Good combinations include parsley, mint, and tarragon. Or consider an all-mint salad to accompany grilled lamb, an all-tarragon salad to accompany grilled chicken, a sage-heavy salad to accompany roast pork. Other herbs that can be added to the following salad mix include a very judicious addition of hyssop, sage, chervil, and marjoram. Just be sure to include leaves only—no cheating—leaving all stems behind!

This dish is a nice choice for a special breakfast because the potatoes can be mashed in advance, then chilled overnight in the ramekins. Serve with plenty of buttered toast.

The fruit in the salad can be varied with the season. In summer, add cantaloupe; in winter, oranges are good.

This elegant first course is ideal for entertaining, because everything can be prepared a day ahead (just chop up all the toppings and refrigerate them until ready to use).

Peas and chives really dress up this side dish.

This is great warm or at room temperature.