Mint

This dressing is best cooked in a dish of its own, which also allows the top layer of bread to brown to an appealing crisp.

Serve with bowls of diced tomato, sliced romaine lettuce, and purchased eggplant salad to spoon atop burgers in pitas. Finish with fresh apricots, grapes, and cookies.

Ask the butcher to "french" the racks of lamb, which involves cutting away the meat from the ends of the rack to expose the bones. Serve with: California Cabernet • asparagus sprinkled with chives and toasted pine nuts • crusty baguette • blueberry crumble with cream

This recipe was created to accompany <epi:recipelink id="12400">Pork Tournedos with Blackberry Gastrique and Mango Salsa</epi:recipelink>.

Before spooning yogurt out of the carton, pour off any liquid on top. If you use a particularly thick yogurt, you may need to thin the sauce with a little water.

Begin making this one day in advance. For best results, use a rich, premium ice cream, as it will freeze firmly.

Thinly sliced beets (not beef) lay the foundation for this vibrant rendition of the Italian appetizer. Use any assortment of small beets — red, golden, purple, or candy-striped. A local farmers' market will have the best selection. The beets can be roasted and peeled one day before serving.

Rita Martucci of Wilmington, Delaware, writes: "Can you please get the recipe for the Saigon beef served at Zinc in New Haven, Connecticut?" Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 hr

This one can also be a spritzer. Pour into a collins or highball glass and top with a little club soda.

This recipe yields more ginger syrup than you'll need for the fruit salad. Add a spoonful to a glass of club soda, sparkling water, or iced tea for a refreshing summer drink. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr (includes chilling)

This salad is wonderfully refreshing even without purslane, but if you can find the green at your produce market, it's worth using for the nice crunch it adds. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.<P> This recipe originally accompanied epi:recipeLink="101050"Rack of Lamb with Spinach Pine-Nut Crust and Minted Pea Sauce</epi:recipeLink>.

Delicious as a dipping sauce or as a marinade for lamb, shrimp or chicken.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 45 min

The sautéed fennel and carrots is an excellent accompaniment to these chops. Boiled potatoes and sautéed greens would also be a good match.

Pluots are a great stand-in for true plums in this recipe.

We prefer wild salmon for this recipe because it has a milder flavor and is more environmentally friendly than farmed varieties. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 30 min

Serve these pancakes immediately, since they do not keep well in a warm oven.