Salmon

A great way to use beans and corn from your own garden or the farmer's market, this is the perfect dish for a warm summer's evening. Gently poached salmon, its flakes swollen and pillowy, is paired with a lightly glazed combination of fresh shell beans and corn. The poaching liquid is perked up with lemon juice, reduced, enriched with butter, and spooned over the fish to unite the salmon and the vegetables. This dish is especially lovely with green and purple basil, another summer staple.

The idea for this sandwich came to me when my mother and I were about to have bagels and lox for brunch. I wanted a more nutritious spread than cream cheese, and I happened to have on hand a ripe avocado, which is rich in beneficial monosaturated fat and organic minerals. Mashed with a bit of lemon juice, it turned out to be the perfect choice. Its mild, delicate flavor provides the ideal balance for the salty lox, and its smooth creamy texture resembles that of cream cheese. Use whatever bagel you like. A whole-grain one has the best nutrition, but the sandwich will taste better if the bagel is not sweet; often whole-grain bagels also contain honey. The lox-and-avocado combination is also good in a whole wheat pita. Whether you're serving it to break the fast or for brunch, the sandwich is good accompanied by a green salad and a few high-quality olives.

A refined rethinking of a bagel-shop favorite provides a no—cook, imaginative way to appreciate the traditional flavor pairing.

This is a traditional aioli— a mayo-like emulsion made from raw egg yolks. For ease of preparation, you can also replace the egg yolks and oil with one cup of purchased mayonnaise and whisk in the remaining ingredients.

Bulgogi—beef marinated in soy sauce,sesame oil, and other seasonings—is a popular Korean dish. Here, we've subbed in salmon for the sirloin.

Baby arugula is sold prepackaged in markets. It has a clean, sharp flavor.

Bruising the spices means to almost—but not quite—crush the whole spice seeds or pods. By pressing on the spices with a pestle or the side of a knife, you release the natural oils, making the seasonings more flavorful.

Fiery Buffalo sauce gives buttery salmon tanginess and heat, while a sprinkling of breadcrumbs lends a satisfying crunch.

This classic Italian sauce, with its combination of balsamic vinegar and a touch of sugar, lends deep sweetness and a hit of acidity to the meaty sautéed fish.

The combination of salmon and whitefish is delicious (and pretty). A few tablespoons of horseradish give a real kick to the sauce. To adjust the heat to your taste, add the horseradish a little bit at a time.

Baking the crust first keeps it from getting soggy beneath the toppings.

Give your pan-seared salmon fillets a lemony pop with mustard-herb butter.

Simple to prepare but impressive when served, this is spring elegance at its best. The salad is shown with purple watercress, a beautiful, rare variety you might find at farmers' markets. Green watercress works great, too.

With sustainability in mind, we taste-tested a variety of domestic caviars. Trout roe had the pop and brininess we were looking for—and it was especially pretty.

Russian blinis traditionally call for yeast, but our mini-pancake version is blissfully easy. Use as much or as little caviar as you like, depending on how indulgent you're feeling.

Tarama (or taramasalata) is a Greek spread traditionally made with carp roe, breadcrumbs, lemon juice, milk, olive oil, and seasonings. Here, smoked salmon adds an extra dose of flavor.