Leek

To make this a vegetarian chili, use an additional eight ounces of lentils instead of the pound of ground beef.

You can use frozen baby lima beans (with the same delicious result) instead of the fresh favas, which are harder to find.

Also delicious served atop steak.

This filling is definitely not peas and hard carrots and tough chunks of chicken. Instead, there are sun-dried tomatoes and shiitake mushrooms with flavorful pieces of thyme-seasoned chicken. And best of all, the individual pies can be assembled a day ahead, leaving only the baking to be done before sharing them with the family.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Regular button mushrooms are a nice substitute for the portobellos in this side dish.

Leeks and sour cream combine here in a terrific take on mashed potatoes.

At the Perryville Inn chef Paul Ingenito uses the succulent bits of meat from lobster knuckles in a bread pudding, which he bakes and serves in empty lobster tail shells as an adjunct to a whole lobster. We thought the pudding was stunning enough to stand on its own and so adapted the recipe, using the meat of a whole lobster for the pudding and the shells and body for the sauce.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Serve these with a salad and some sausage for a hearty main course.

This is made with homemade pasta at the inn. Our easy alternative uses cooked lasagne noodles cut into squares. From the Inn at Perry Cabin, St. Michaels, Maryland. Watch how to make your own pasta for ravioli with our hands-on streaming video demonstration.

In this elegant entrée, the leeks mellow to lend a bit of sweetness to the sauce.

Ideal for any spring occasion.

If you have a set of clay tiles or a baking stone, place it on the oven rack while preheating the oven. It will absorb the heat, and putting a pizza pan or baking sheet directly on top will ensure a crisp crust.