Asparagus

A star starter from Hubert Keller at Fleur de Lys in San Francisco. A good mold for the timbale is a six-ounce tomato-paste can that has the top and bottom removed.

This is a quick, attractive dish, terrific with softly fried eggs for a spring weekend breakfast, as an appetizer for lunch or dinner, or as a side vegetable with roast chicken.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

When tossed with the warm pasta, the blue cheese melts into a silky sauce. A Côtes du Rhône is just the right accompaniment.

(Sformati di Asparagi e Parmigiano) Sformato, which is a cross between a savory custard and a soufflé, can be made from a number of different vegetables. Asparagus is ideal and a Tuscan favorite — particularly in April and May when it is at its best. Serve these puddings as a first course or as a side dish; or accompany them with a salad for brunch or a light supper.

Here's a rich, creamy pasta from chef Cory Mattson of the Fearrington House Restaurant in Pittsboro, North Carolina.

When you want to put on the "dog" but not the fat, try this colorful salad.

"Many of the everyday dishes I made when I was raising my daughters are recipes I learned from my mother while I was growing up in the suburbs of Paris," writes Fanny Carroll of Eugene, Oregon. "She was quite a cook, and with a husband and seven kids to feed, everything had to be fast."

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 40 min

White asparagus has a delicate flavor that works especially well with our truffle vinaigrette, but try the dish with green asparagus, too.

The asparagus and orange segments are arranged in a sunburst pattern on a large platter, with baby greens and sliced red onion in the center.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Here asparagus stars in a first-course tart accented with tarragon and Parmesan Cheese.

Here's a simple, colorful side dish.