Mint

Pitas, or savory pies, are ubiquitous in mountainous Epirus, in no small part because their portability suited itinerant sheepherding families. Even when you are staying put, this one is well worth making. Its homemade phyllo is rolled out much thicker than the commercial kind, making something more akin to a tender piecrust, and it's imbued with rich flavor from yogurt.

This truly fabulous Vietnamese-inspired salad is the epitome of flavor synergy, combining sweet pineapple and fiery serrano with cooling cucumber and mint.

Watermelon chunks in savory salads have been all the rage in the past few years, but we wanted a way to retain the fruit's best trait: how enjoyable it is to eat out of hand on a hot day. These wedges, sprinkled with salt, pepper, cheese, and heady fresh mint, are a light, refreshing start to a warm-weather meal. And they leave your other hand free to hold a drink or chase after the kids.

SALAT TIS LESVOV Editor's note: This recipe is excerpted from Aglaia Kremezi's book The Foods of the Greek Islands. To read more about Kremezi and Greek Easter, click here. From the first October rains up until the end of April, the greengrocers of Mytilini, the capital of Lesbos, sell each head of romaine lettuce tied together with two or three sprigs of borage (often with its little blue flowers), two or three scallions, several sprigs of peppery arugula, four or five sprigs of dill or fennel fronds, a few sprigs of peppery wild cress and either fresh mint or a little wild celery. Once home, these essential ingredients for the local green winter salad are thinly sliced and tossed with a simple vinaigrette. It's important to cut the greens at the last moment and to slice them very thin. If they are coarsely cut, the salad will taste different.

ARNI GEMISTO ME HORTA KE FETA Editor's note: This recipe is excerpted from Aglaia Kremezi's book The Foods of the Greek Islands. To read more about Kremezi and Greek Easter, click here. This recipe comes from Andros, and it is one of the most delicious ways to cook a whole Easter spring lamb or kid. The various spring wild greens on the island, seasoned with fennel, mint and other aromatic herbs, together with the local slightly sour fresh cheese, are used to make the stuffing. In my version, instead of a whole tiny lamb, I use a shortened leg of lamb (shank half) partly boned, to make room for the stuffing. The result is quite different but equally enticing. Serve with Roasted Potatoes with Garlic, Lemon, and Oregano.

Jalapeño peppers and a double hit of mint liven up traditional mint jelly. Try it with crackers and cheese and with lamb or chicken.

Po Ho Thng Although this fragrant soup, reminiscent of Chinese egg drop, is meant to be sipped throughout the meal (its clean flavor cools the palate between dishes), we'd make it even if we weren't preparing the rest of this menu. It's incredibly easy (the stock can be made ahead) and requires only a few ingredients.

Though not quite as tender, lamb shoulder chops have deeper flavor than rib chops and won't break the bank.

Tart rhubarb pairs with the sweetness of oranges to create a tangy sauce for roasted black sea bass. Cinnamon and ginger add a lovely background flavor.

Lightly frying the zucchini for this dish is the only step that takes a bit of time. And the result is wonderful; the thin slices, accented with garlic, mint, and lemon, meld perfectly with the pasta.

Ask your butcher to butterfly the leg of lamb for you.

Start this dish at least 4 hours ahead. The chicken can also marinate overnight. What to drink: A delicate white wine with floral aromas, like Pinot Gris from Austria or Alsace.

This dip is also delicious with thin baguette slices, toast, crackers, or tortilla chips.

Katy Hees of Santa Fe, New Mexico, writes: "Eating local, fresh, organic food is important to me. Lamb is one of my favorite meats, so I'm always trying to think of new ways to prepare it." Here, lamb's classic partner — mint — is incorporated into the burger.

Neither overtly salty nor sweet, and with a pleasantly grainy texture, these biscuits won a loyal following among staff dogs — as well as humans.