Leafy Greens

For an elegant dinner, just add a salad of Bibb lettuce and Belgian endive with walnut-oil vinaigrette, and pass a basket of warm French bread. A purchased apple tart makes a lovely finale.

The aioli is quickly made by mixing garlic and tarragon into purchased mayonnaise.

Serve with: Grilled portobello mushrooms and a rice salad with sliced radishes. Dessert: Scoops of coconut, pineapple, and passion-fruit sorbets drizzled with rum.

Thyme really shines in this soup; sautéed apples are an interesting sweet garnish.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr (not including frico) Test your springform pan with water for leakage before getting started. If it leaks, tightly wrap the bottom and halfway up the side of the pan with two layers of foil before filling it.

The radicchio is seasoned in the style of a Sicilian agrodolce ("acid-sweet") dish, which typically combines a vegetable with raisins, pine nuts, vinegar, and a sweetener.

The smoked paprika in this recipe adds depth. Unlike Hungarian paprika powder, which is prepared by drying the chiles in the sun, the Spanish smoked version (like La Chinata brand) is prepared by roasting the peppers over smoldering oak fires before being ground to a velvety powder. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

With bacon and lots of fresh herbs, this salad has a delicious balance of flavors. A warm baguette and a good Cabernet round out the menu.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Pan-Seared Salmon over Red Cabbage and Onions with Merlot Gastrique. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

This hearty soup is served at Belvedere Mansion in Staatsburg, New York.

This Boston-area restaurant is dedicated to using locally grown organic produce.