Saute

Chervil's delicate anise flavor enhances the season's baby vegetables. If you don't have chervil, substitute fresh dill.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Bruschetta — a rustic Italian canapé — is the perfect vehicle for the robust flavors of late summer. Serve these topped toasts as a first course or, with a salad and a glass of wine, as a light supper.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe is a lower-fat version of a dish Richard remembers from the Blackhawk Restaurant in Chicago.

This recipe is very adaptable. You can use whatever quantities of mustard and dandelion greens and spinach you happen to have on hand—just keep the total amount of greens the same. Active time: 50 min Start to finish: 50 min

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

If you like fried chicken with cream gravy, you'll love this sauce —sophisticated and rich, with a bit of sweet fruitiness from the Madeira. It's a wonderful alternative to traditional pan gravy. You'll have to choose between this gravy or the cider sage version for the holiday meal, as you'll need the neck and giblets as well as the pan drippings for this recipe.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Serve this elegant first course with Champagne or sparkling wine. The recipe makes a few extra pancakes for those who want seconds.

Hash, a venerable Yankee dish, is usually made with the leftovers from Boiled Dinner (Corned Beef) or Roast Beef Dinner. In keeping with the humble origins of hash, my version of Lobster Hash uses a modest 2 ounces of lobster meat per person. Serve this as a satisfying main dish for lunch, brunch or even a hearty breakfast.

These lamb chops—an easier version of recipes you may have made before—go nicely with sugar snap peas with ginger and garlic and couscous with apricots .

This hearty ham and egg dish includes pipérade, a Basque mixture of sautéed tomatoes and bell peppers, which is generally used as a sauce for meats.

Garnish with grapefruit, orange and lime segments if you like.

At The Bistro of the beautiful Hotel Maison de Ville in New Orleans, chef Dominique Macquet uses crawfish in this Creole starter. We've substituted the more readily available shrimp. Chef Macquet serves garlic toasts alongside.