Spring

The pesto works well as a sauce for pasta, chicken, or fish, too.

This dish has a livelier, fresher taste than traditional risotto because the vegetables are cooked separately from the rice and then spooned over it in a rich ragout.

Serve this hearty side dish with a pork or lamb roast.

A quick dip in egg and matzo meal creates a light, crisp crust for this boastworthy fried chicken. The perfect foil? A refreshing salad of mesclun greens, baby artichokes, and asparagus enlivened with a smooth, dill-flecked vinaigrette.

This dip is also delicious with thin baguette slices, toast, crackers, or tortilla chips.

A hearty, old-fashioned-style pie. Delicious with vanilla ice cream. A winner in the Bon Appétit Recipes Sweepstakes, a reader poll conducted in honor of our 50th anniversary.

More elegant than jam but just as handy, this compote goes with almost everything.

Check your local farmers market or Chef's Garden (800-289-4644) for the geranium leaves or experiment with other leaves such as fresh basil or mint.

To pit a cherry, place the flat side of a large knife on the cherry; press gently until it splits open, then pull out the pit.

Here's a very simple trick for making pasta dishes as delicious as possible: cook them in the classic Italian fashion by adding almost-cooked, drained pasta to the pan or pot with the sauce and let it finish cooking there. Instead of swelling with more salted water during the final minutes, it'll drink in as much flavor as possible, in this case, the potent essence of sautéed mushrooms, red onion, cream, and herbs.

Though we've divided this recipe into two sections, it really contains just four ingredients: rhubarb, sugar, vanilla, and corn syrup. (Adding a little corn syrup to a sorbet helps give it a velvety texture.)

Be sure to use fresh spring peas for this classic side dish. Save the frozen ones for something else.

The quality of the ricotta made near Florence inspired cooks there to create these dumplings. Seasonal leeks add their earthiness to the gnocchi, and bright green favas sautéed in butter with sage are the edible garnish.

Ricotta and Asparagus Ravioli with Green Pea Sauce In spring, the Roman markets are vivid with the bright green of the baby peas and young asparagus that grow in the volcanic soils of Lazio and neighboring Campania. Here's a fresh idea for combining both vegetables in a dinner-party-worthy dish.

Velvety risotto shows off the flavors and textures of young spring produce.

Baby spinach can stand in for the mâche.