Salad

Try not to break up the large lumps of crabmeat, because the salad looks best when the fresh, white meat stands out.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

When you compose a gorgeous salad brimming with the freshest greens, herbs, and flowers, the best choice of dressing is a simple vinaigrette with a fairly neutral flavor that gently blends with the flavors of the salad ingredients instead of overriding them. The key is to use good-quality vinegar and olive oil. I use two kinds of vinegar: a good red wine vinegar or aged sherry vinegar for crispness, and a smaller amount of balsamic for its full body and touch of sweetness. You don't need to use the precious old balsamico tradizionale, but its best to stay away from the very low priced brands. This recipe has a slightly higher than average proportion of vinegar to oil to help balance assertively flavored greens. When it comes to choosing the right oil, try to find a first-rate extra-virgin olive oil with a mild flavor, not a brand that's powerfully fruity. You don't want the oil to jump out as the predominant flavor. The exception is when many of your greens are very bitter or hot, like mustard, radicchio, peppercress, or endive, in which case a very fruity olive oil will balance and tone down their aggressiveness. If you're using this vinaigrette on a salad of many varied and distinctively flavored greens and herbs, like the Herbfarm Garden Salad, I suggest you not add more herbs to the dressing. However, if you are making the vinaigrette for a simpler salad of lettuces and other greens or vegetables, try blending in one of the herbs listed in the variations that follow. The vinaigrette also presents an excellent opportunity to use an herb-infused vinegar.

"For me, cooking has always been a way to wind down and relax," writes Mark Van Wye of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. "I'm a writer and I work from home, so depending on how busy things are, I can spend hours preparing a meal. But I also like to be ready to whip up dinner at the drop of a hat. The recipes here are just two of a handful of standbys I rely on when last-minute company is coming or a deadline has kept me out of the kitchen." This sophisticated starter would lend an elegant touch to any special meal.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Use this dressing on crisp lettuce or omit the buttermilk and serve it as a dip with crudités.

Green curry paste (a blend of green chilies, garlic, onion, and spices) adds explosive flavor to these one-biters. You'll need a miniature muffin tin to prepare the wonton cups.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

It seems that we're always agreeing to bring a big salad to an informal dinner party only to discover, too late, that there's no time to make a last-minute salad. No one would guess that this wonderfully fresh salad started its journey to dinner two days earlier — in fact, it requires that extra time to mellow its flavors. It's a very portable salad that can sit for hours at room temperature with no ill effects.

Dried cranberries can be used in place of the pomegranate seeds in this recipe.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

Eremo della Giubiliana is a magical hotel near Ragusa in southeastern Sicily. Housed in a converted fifteenth-century convent and with just nine guest rooms, it manages to combine serene simplicity with modern day pampering. The high-beamed, airy restaurant underscores the feeling and complements the chef's fresh new takes on traditional foods. Each dish of the five-course meal is simple, authentic, and utterly delicious. This orange salad is a wonderful example: Made with the local blood oranges and olive oil, its flavors are both pure and distinctive. Blood oranges make for an impressive and classic presentation, but navel oranges work just as well.

"When our travel plans changed and my husband and I found ourselves in Tampa overnight, we got a hotel room and then went searching for a restaurant," writes Lee Menconi-Steiger of San Pablo, California. "Our concierge recommended SideBern's for dinner — and it was outstanding. We tried dozens of delicious items from their dim sum menu, but the dish I remember best is the Pacific Rim Caesar salad." Top this salad with seared tuna or scallops to make it into a main course for four.

Carol Gilbert of Saratoga, California, writes: "I've been many things in my life — including a teacher and a stay-at-home mom — but now, at 63, I am a one-person technical documentation department for a start-up company. The hours are not nine to five, so I can't put vast amounts of time into cooking these days, but I have never lost my love for it. Nevertheless, I cook about five nights a week for myself and my husband, David. Despite the long days, I want to have a home-cooked meal in the evening. So, I'm organized: I draw up a weekly menu plan, make a shopping list, and take one trip to the market. I could not survive without my plan!" You can substitute Boston or butter lettuce if Bibb isn't available. Save even more prep time by using packaged candied walnuts or other nuts that are now widely available and are often displayed in the produce or snack aisles of the supermarket.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 45 min

Serve with: Black bean salad from the deli and salad toppings like sour cream, shredded lettuce, grated Monterey Jack cheese, and salsa. Dessert: Double-dip dulce de leche and chocolate ice cream cones.

Add cooked shrimp to transform this salad into a light main course.

I've always loved coleslaws, using them as side dishes for everything from oyster rolls to whole grilled fish. Far from the chopped green cabbage with flecks of carrot from our school cafeteria days, the slaw can be quite elegant.