Summer

This is best eaten the day it's made — left to sit longer, the cake can get a bit soggy from the fruit.

We seasoned this salad — based on the Middle Eastern bread salad called fattoush — with za'atar, a mixture of salt, sumac, sesame, and thyme.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Grilling husked corn on the cob produces nicely browned and sweetly caramelized kernels that are absolutely addictive. The garlic butter is a terrific finishing touch.

Any kind of smooth fresh cheese may be used to make coeur à la crème. Flavor will vary with the type of cheese used and also with the proportion of cream added. French fromage frais, English curd cheese, and American farmer cheese are all suitable for this dessert which should be prepared two days before serving.

A creamy fruit filling goes between split Cardamom Biscuits for a beautiful dessert.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. This recipe originally accompanied Veal Scallops with Squash, Tomatoes, and Roasted-Garlic Basil Sauce.

No custard stands in the way of the peach flavor in this simple-to-make ice cream, so only the sweetest fresh peaches will do.

This hearty salad combines the richness of baked red onion with the freshness of ripe raw tomatoes. The dressing is a savory vinaigrette with capers and anchovies. It is an ideal dish for a buffet or, with the addition of some good canned tuna, for a light lunch or picnic.

Fool is a classic English dessert made by combining fruit puree with whipped cream. Here it is spooned into small crisp tartlet shells and garnished with a strawberry. Any leftover fool would make a nice treat with afternoon tea.

Here's a classic spring dessert from Commander's Palace.

This is a rich yet exquisitely simple dish that can be at its best only if every ingredient is of top quality. The asparagus must be fresh and in season, brightly colored, and crisp, with almost a glow in the center of the stalk. If you can buy butter from Normandy, use it; for Parmesan, use only Parmigiano-Reggiano, with its full, ripe flavor. The asparagus is not actually rôtie, or roasted, but rather sautéed in butter until it has a gilded, roasted appearance. The sprinkling of chopped raw asparagus at the end adds crunch and a slightly nutty taste to a dish of silken textures and flavors.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.