Spring Onion

Avgolemono, a classic Greek sauce flavored with lemon juice and thickened with eggs, adds richness to the tender stewed chicken in this outstanding main course. Pour a chilled Chardonnay, and offer purchased baklava for dessert. See how to joint a chicken.

"I love going to Peter Schott's here in Boise for special occasions," writes Tracie Merrell of Boise, Idaho. "The restaurant is elegant but relaxed, and the food is memorable, especially the mushroom soup with Brie croutons." Freezing the Brie firms it, so removing the rind and slicing the cheese are much easier.

This main-course soup is called pho in Vietnam, where it is eaten at any time of day.

Here, lime juice replaces the traditional lemongrass, which can be hard to find. The result is a quick, authentic-tasting Thai-style soup. If coconut milk is unavailable, substitute 1 3/4 cups half and half mixed with 3/4 teaspoon imitation coconut extract.

Beans cozy up with spring alliums and plenty of olive oil.

To get the most flavor out of this open-faced breakfast sandwich, look for spring onions with round bulbs and very tender dark green stalks.

This recipe makes two white pizzas, but it can be easily halved.

How to choose corn: Look for tight, squeaky, green husks and rows of kernels that feel taut and full when you run your hands over the cobs.

Spring onions are a young allium with a tiny bulb and a tender stalk. After caramelizing, use the leftover oil for bread dipping.