Thyme

Halving the yams before roasting greatly reduces the cooking time and allows them to develop a nice golden crust.

A Japanese or French mandoline is great for slicing vegetables uniformly—anywhere from very thin to thick—and takes much less time than slicing by hand with a knife.

Frozen lima beans may be substituted for fava beans; start with the second step.

The grainy mustard and bacon dressing is best when made and served immediately. The artichokes, however, can be prepared in advance.

For the best flavor, use freshly made bread crumbs for this dish because they have a much fluffier texture. Place as many slices of white bread as will comfortably fit in the bowl of your food processor, and pulse the bread until crumbly. Any leftover bread crumbs can be placed in a resealable plastic bag and frozen for future use.

Ratatouille is very versatile. It works equally well as a main course or side dish, and can be served hot, cold, or at room temperature. You can refrigerate it, covered, up to 3 days.

We used small potatoes for this recipe. If your potatoes are larger, adjust the cooking time.

The baby artichokes are cooked in advance, so they only need to be grilled for a short time.

For more-generous portions, cook one hen per person. If you do, use two roasting pans, and double the other ingredients.

Serve this stewlike chicken dish over couscous or mashed potatoes, or with a crusty baguette to soak up the flavorful broth. We used Cerignola olives from southern Italy; they are large and firm enough to hold up to slow cooking methods like braising.