Basil

For an easy dinner party, round this out with orzo on the side, a green salad, and a light Italian red wine like Dolcetto. Finish with sorbet and chopped dark chocolate.

Enhance eggs with spinach, which has mounds of magnesium, a mineral that helps keep blood pressure steady.

It's the watercress that makes this new riff on a classic greener—and zestier, too.

In this luxurious risotto, leeks take the place of the chopped onions that are traditionally used in the beloved Italian rice dish.

Learn how our executive food editor rediscovered the joys of fresh pesto and made it her own.

There are so many variations on mashed potatoes—but this combination of potatoes and basil is a marriage made in heaven. Creamy potatoes and the fresh peppery basil really complement each other, and the Parmesan doesn't hurt, either. Everyone asks for seconds!

This no-cook salad is a refreshing (and lovely) way to use up lots of zucchini—and also impress your dinner guests. A vegetable peeler makes it easy to create the zucchini ribbons.

At John J. Jeffries, the chicken is served with seasonal heirloom tomatoes, arugula, and watercress. Ask the butcher to quarter the chicken and remove the backbone. Start preparing the recipe at least seven hours ahead.

A pat of the slightly tangy butter is tucked into the center of each beef patty. As the burger cooks, the butter melts, giving the meat an extra-tender texture and a hit of citrusy flavor.

Halloumi, a firm, mild cheese from Cyprus, is sold at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores, natural foods stores, and Greek markets.

Sauce verte is French for "green sauce." In this recipe, the sauce gets its vibrant color from basil, green onion, parsley, and capers. Any leftover sauce can be stirred into couscous or rice, or served with grilled chicken or fish.

What makes this beautiful appetizer even more attractive? Both of the salsas and the toasted baguette slices can be prepared one day ahead.

The classic Italian sauce gets an update with the addition of parsley and tarragon.

Making your own coarse fresh breadcrumbs takes just a minute; see "Test-Kitchen Tip" at the end of the recipe for the how-to.

This one's a backyard party classic that I've put a new spin on. To protect those delicate, sugar-sweet kernels, I grill each cob in its husk. Then toward the end of cooking, I peel the husk back and let the corn develop just a bit of tasty char. As if this weren't lovely enough, I bring it all up a notch with a cilantro pesto (use basil or parsley if you prefer) and plenty of butter.