No-Cook

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Purchased sorbet, frozen yogurt and pound cake make this the season's quickest elegant dessert.

This recipe was given to Willinger by the late Torquato Innocenti, the local farmer whom Willinger considered her muse. Whenever she bought vegetables from his stand, he would give her terrific ideas for how to use them. Willinger wanted to honor his recipe-sharing tradition by passing this delicious slaw along to our readers.

Here's an easy-to-make sauce for shrimp or crab claws. It's also good prepared with fresh dill or thyme instead of tarragon. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.

This is also delicious sprinkled over fresh fruit or stirred into iced tea. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This refreshing winter salad goes well with the fennel and sausage ragù or the .

"While in Greenville, South Carolina, we dined at The Palms, located in the Phoenix Inn," writes Marilyn J. Smith of Bradford, Pennsylvania. "All their food is outstanding, but I would particularly like the recipe for the Roquefort terrine. It was delicious!"

This can be made with maple, lemon or rum extract instead of almond. It's great on any cookie that calls for a piped icing. This recipe originally accompanied Christmas Tree Shortbread .

(MIXED SALAD)

For crunchy greens (escarole and romaine), try this all-purpose dressing.

Rather than making herbs part of a green salad, why not make these fresh, flavorful greens the salad. The idea comes from Paris chef Alain Passard, who years ago served me an all-tarragon salad at his Left Bank restaurant, Arpège. When tarragon is fresh in the market or your garden overflows with this extraordinarily powerful herb, why not serve it with honor as a salad on its own? Years later Passard expanded what I call "the tarragon tangle" to a full-scale mixed herb salad—just a few well-dressed bites on a small salad plate—as an accompaniment. The idea really is to mix and match judiciously. Just don't use so many herbs that they lose their personality. Good combinations include parsley, mint, and tarragon. Or consider an all-mint salad to accompany grilled lamb, an all-tarragon salad to accompany grilled chicken, a sage-heavy salad to accompany roast pork. Other herbs that can be added to the following salad mix include a very judicious addition of hyssop, sage, chervil, and marjoram. Just be sure to include leaves only—no cheating—leaving all stems behind!

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Fresh mint and lemon peel are combined with feta and chevre in this topping. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.