Herbs & Spices

Sugar snap peas and pea tendrils (the young leaves and shoots of the snow pea plant) give this dish a double hit of spring flavor.

Any fat from the consommé can be used to make the matzo balls. If you need to purchase chicken fat, it's available in the freezer section of some supermarkets. Look for fresh lemongrass in supermarkets and Asian markets.

Rhubarb adds a touch of tangy sweetness to simmered red cabbage. If you like, seared chicken breast can be used in place of the roasted salmon.

In this East Coast-style breakfast treat, a tender sour cream coffee cake is topped with a thick layer of cinnamon-scented streusel.

Small, tender baby artichokes are easier to prepare than their larger counterparts. The lightness of the artichokes is delicious with the rich pork.

In this pretty soup, sweet fresh peas are enhanced with a bit of mint.

To be sure the flavor of the fresh herbs comes through, use regular olive oil (not extra-virgin) in the tarragon-chive oil.

At the center of the spiky leaves of the artichoke is the heart, the most tender, flavorful part of the vegetable. It takes a little work to get to the heart, but the extra effort is well worth it.

What makes this entrée so flavorful? Tucking garlic slices into the lamb and covering the meat with a puree made of garlic, Dijon mustard, rosemary, and lemon.

You'll get about five cups of preserves from this recipe. Try leftovers alongside soft cheeses or over vanilla ice cream. Fresh ricotta is available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Italian markets.

Sweet summer corn is the best. You can make variations of the cilantro butter with different herbs and use lemon juice. If the corn isn't too sweet, add a little bit of maple syrup to the butter.

A take on the Provençal tart known as pissaladiére, this galette can be served as an hors d'oeuvre or, with a salad, as a light lunch. It gets fullness of flavor from a tangle of sweet caramelized onions that tops a smear of tomato paste enlivened with garlic and anchovies (left over from Mediterranean Eggplant Relish). A flaky homemade pastry crust ups the richness even more.

With the coconut milk left over from our Sweet–Potato Coconut Purée , try this very modern spin on steamed mussels. Fennel and tomatoes are common pairings with mussels, but garam masala is the wild card here, contributing an unexpected depth of curry flavor to the coconut–milk broth and tender mussels.

This side dish of silky mashed potatoes sweetened with pumpkin (left over from Pumpkin Muffins ), seasoned with fresh sage, and laced with melty strands of Fontina cheese is full of favorite autumnal flavors. But, surprisingly, it's the cider vinegar that really makes this dish sing—just a tablespoon of this stealth ingredient adds a roundness that ties the whole dish together. We love it with pork chops or turkey cutlets.

It's only natural to use leftover chicken broth (from Blade Steaks with Rosemary White–Bean Purée ) to make chicken soup. But what a soup! Steeping ginger and scallion greens in the stock and then poaching the chicken in it is a quick way to achieve a depth of flavor. The final soup is enriched with silky ribbons of just–cooked eggs, shreds of tender chicken, and fresh rings of scallion. Best of all, this satisfying soup is easy enough to pull together after work.

When I was growing up, my mom would cut up fresh fruit and arrange it on a plate with a shot glass full of toothpicks. She would also toss fresh fruit with some orange or lime juice and sugar. Taking inspiration from her, I came up with my own version: lime, lemon, a little maple syrup, and an herb syrup with rosemary or mint.
Cut your fruit into chunks rather than into small pieces; I find that small pieces of fruit get mealy and mushy. Make the salad the morning you're going to serve it, but if you're determined to make it the night before, cut up the fruit, store it in separate containers, and then toss it together in the morning. Use whatever fruit you'd like (bananas, apples, berries—the possibilities are endless), but unless you're using the ripest, sweetest seasonal fruit, add a little sugar.

Our ten–minute Crab Salad isn't the only easy way to use tarragon. Here, the fragrant herb, along with a dollop of cream cheese, adds elegance to scrambled eggs. Don't relegate this wonderful dish to the breakfast table—served with a small green salad and a glass of white wine, it makes a delicious weeknight dinner.