Thyme

A topping of buttery whole-wheat bread crumbs and hazelnuts creates a toasty counterpoint to baked thick-sliced tomatoes. What prevents it from being too rich, though, is the accent of thyme—lemon thyme in particular. With its small green leaves edged in yellow, the herb is easy to spot at the farmers market. Still not sure? Take a sniff. Lemon thyme's brisk, citrusy scent is a real eye-opener.

This handsome roast elicited oohs and aahs in the test kitchen when Ruggiero pulled it out of the oven, and the succulent meat disappeared in a flurry of forks. The rosemary, thyme, sage, and savory sprigs on which the pork loin roasts infuse the meat and mingle with its mustard and shallot cloak. The luscious sauce is argument enough for keeping a bottle of dry vermouth on hand.

An easy marinade of garlic, lemon, thyme, and a dollop of the North African hot sauce harissa make these green olives memorable. If you can, prepare the olives ahead—they improve with age.

Mayonnaise with lemon and thyme gives both extra freshness and a golden-brown crust to delicate, slightly sweet pollock.

This recipe originally accompanied Ratatouille .

<p>Who knew that making your own fruit spread could be so easy and so delicious? I promise this recipe will not disappoint. And it's a perfect complement to the <epi:recipeLink ="350666">Perfect Crostini</epi:recipeLink.</p>

Looking for a classic turkey with some added depth of flavor? This is the one for you. The meat tastes of sage, rosemary, and thyme.

The traditional crostini topping is a soft pâté, but the wild mushrooms with truffle oil served by chef Julian Marucci at Baltimore's Cinghiale are just as indulgent.

Though we can appreciate the beauty of a panna cotta that's been turned out of its mold, the light-as-air texture of these, just set enough to melt in the mouth, will have you happy to eat them right from the cup. Yogurt gives the almond-infused cream a little tang, and peaches that have been macerated with lemon thyme just long enough to meld and soften seem to exist expressly for this dessert.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are adapted from Elizabeth Karmel's Web site, girlsatthegrill.com . I use this technique to grill one of my signature dishes, pancetta-wrapped trout. I stuff the fish with fresh tarragon, wrap it mummy-style in pancetta (uncured Italian bacon) and serve it with a simple mesclun salad for a winning meal off the grill.

Debi Mazar shared this recipe exclusively with Epicurious. When making this rich dish, Mazar likes to multiply the recipe by one and a half. Leftovers can be quickly heated and served over pasta for an easy, delicious weeknight dinner.

This is the perfect entrée for a holiday dinner for two. Complete the meal with sautéed green beans and wild mushrooms and a wild-rice pilaf with chopped fresh parsley and hazelnuts. For dessert? Chocolate mousse topped with rum-spiked whipped cream and chopped crystallized ginger.

Floating on the surface of this pale, silky soup, which tastes of the essence of parsley, is a trompe l'oeil surprise: What looks like shaved truffles is actually thinly sliced chestnuts, adding a nutty sweetness.

This particularly enticing version of the holiday favorite includes fresh rosemary and thyme along with the spices. The nuts can be made several days in advance and stored in resealable plastic bags in a cool, dry place.

Although this soup is full of earthy flavor, it's also relatively light, which makes it a perfect first course for the big holiday meal. As a bonus, it can be prepared several days ahead and quickly reheated at the last minute.

Flavored with traditional stuffing herbs, these are great for mopping up gravy. They also make a tasty snack sandwich with leftover turkey.

Both the turkey and the gravy get big-time flavor from earthy dried porcini mushrooms.