Green Bean

Offer this spirited dip with green beans, baby corn, radishes and French bread.

The vegetables can be prepared ahead and finished up to the middle of step 3. Heat for 5 minutes before serving.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Serve with: Unoaked California Chardonnay • wild rice with spring herbs • watercress with orange juice vinaigrette • lemon curd tart with strawberry sauce

I, who struggled for years to achieve perfectly cooked, lively green beans love Aunt Enza's overstewed green beans, soft, almost creamy, tasting of bean, cooked far beyond crunch. Although Aunt Enza cooks the green beans in an onion and garlic-flavored tomato sauce she pointed out that leftover green beans can be subjected to the same treatment. Aunt Enza has a heavy Tuscan hand with extra virgin. I've cut down on the oil but my husband Massimo always adds a little extra at the table.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. If fingerling potatoes are not available, small red potatoes, halved, may be substituted.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Sortilège is a blend of Canadian whiskey and maple syrup. Here it infuses the chestnuts with maple flavor and picks up the sweetness of the green beans. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 hr

Grape tomatoes are smaller than cherry tomatoes. If you’re using cherry tomatoes, cut them in half for this dish.

Colorful, refreshing and delicious.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Ginger and crushed red pepper help round out the Thai theme of this quick dish.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Don't marinate the fish more than 15 minutes, or it will be cooked by the citric acid in the lemon juice (like the Latin dish seviche). And don't toss the vegetables until serving time, or the vinegar will discolor the beans.