Ham

Here is an almost effortless soup. Everything goes into the pot at once, and the finished dish is just the thing on a cold winter day.

To serve alongside this version of a southern favorite, toss some boiled new potatoes and cherry tomatoes with melted butter and chopped parsley in a skillet. Finish with a purchased lemon meringue pie.

"The warm asparagus salad I had at Figs restaurant in Boston was as original as it was delicious," says Lena Madore of Los Altos, California. "They served it with a chickpea pancake. I'd love to try both recipes." This salad is great with or without the wedge of farinata, a flat savory cake of Italian origin made from chickpea flour.

On the buffet table, put the ham and mustard sauce next to the Caraway-Dill Biscuits so that your guests can make their own little sandwiches. Prepare the sauce one day ahead.

These make-ahead savory pies are wonderful centerpiece dishes for a casual dinner.

Slices of prosciutto spread with goat cheese and wrapped around asparagus tips make terrific cocktail party fare. The leftover asparagus stalks can be cut up and used in soup, or toss them with pasta, olive oil and Parmesan cheese.

My mother is a member of a club that meets during the months of July and August on Martha's Vineyard, where we have summered for more than thirty-five years. One season the members compiled a souvenir cookbook, and my mother contributed her recipe for a deviled ham spread that she makes from leftover ham. Like deviled eggs, it's devilishly simple and satanically good. It can be spread on pieces of celery or toast points. Those who do not want to use ham can substitute smoked chicken or smoked turkey. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

To cut the spiciness, seed the jalapeño before adding it to the beans; garnish the dish with sour cream and chopped cilantro.

At The Amana Barn Restaurant, in Amana, Iowa this dish is called Rouladen; it's accompanied by potato dumplings.

Not your typical corn bread dressing, this one from Michael McLaughlin features smoky ham and sautéed fennel.

"Recently I had dinner at Highlands Bar & Grill in Birmingham, Alabama. To say I was dazzled by the baked grits is not overstating the case," writes Mary Lane Stiglets of Jackson, Mississippi. "This divine and truly southern recipe should be printed in your magazine for all to enjoy."

Serve the ham with baked sweet potatoes and buttered baby peas. Finish with wedges of sponge cake topped with fudge sauce.

Garbure Don't be misled by the plain-looking appearance of this classic Basque soup; it is thoroughly satisfying and delicious. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 10 1/2 hr (includes soaking beans)

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Sweet and salty, the ham is great served with roasted potatoes and applesauce.

For this recipe the lamb racks are frenched all the way down to the eye of the meat. For decorative purposes, we asked our butcher to leave a 1-inch-wide strip of fat along the top of the eye of the rack.