Pickle & Preserve

With a hint of smoky chipotle chile, this relish is a delicious departure from the usual cranberry sauce.

A delicious spread that would be perfectly at home with hot tea and warm scones on a winter's day.

Here is an old southern favorite that is delicious as a condiment or great added to tuna, chicken and shrimp salads. Begin preparing the pickles at least three days before you plan to serve them.

Though you have to plan ahead, processing these pickles is worth the effort — we found the heat cooks the okra just a bit and helps them absorb the brine.

This dish is also known as Texas caviar.

This chutney is well worth the 1-month wait it takes for the spices to mellow. Try it with grilled shrimp or fish, or on grilled chicken or cheese sandwiches. Active time: 2 hr Start to finish: 31/2 hr (plus 1 month for flavors to develop)

Apples did so well in the colonies that they were exported to the West Indies, and Virginians eventually sold Pippins back to the mother country.

"There are three recipes I like for strawberry jam," says Caroline Bates. "My mother’s long-cooked one may be too much trouble for some people; the sun-cooked version is impractical for city dwellers ('First, find a sunny rooftop....'). But this soft strawberry jam (also my mother’s) is simpler and good, too." Its flavor depends on the berries' being fully sweet, completely ripe yet firm, and with not a trace of white near the stem. Such berries have less pectin than underripe ones, so the jam will be loose. Just spoon it out of a jar and dribble it on biscuits.

Begin preparing the salads at least one day ahead to allow the flavors to blend.

These plums nicely complement pork or lamb chops. You can slip off the skins before eating if you like.

Preserved lemons, sold ready-made in Moroccan souks, are essential to that country's cuisine. The peel, pulp, and juice squeezed from the lemons can all be used. Sometimes, however, the juice and preserving brine, can be bitter; use fresh lemon juice in that case.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

I love these preserves because they're both tart and sweet. For the best color, choose true-red sour cherries. Darker varieties — those that resemble Bing cherries — will make darker preserves, which will also be delicious. The cherries are steeped overnight in sugar, which deepens their flavor and helps them to stay plump. Kernels from the cherry pits (tied in a cheesecloth bag) add an almondy note to the preserves. Active time: 2 1/4 hr Start to finish: 1 day (plus 1 day for flavors to develop)

Start this at least one day before serving.

Start the gravlax at least two days in advance (the sauce can also be prepared ahead of time, leaving just quick assembly on the day of the party). What to drink: Champagne (or sparkling wine) is a classic aperitif, and versatile enough to pair nicely with the salmon's slightly sweet mustard sauce as well as with the rich Foie Gras and Cream Eggs .