Basil

Elderflowers, with their subtle, honeyed sweetness, are often paired with gooseberries in English cookery. In this particular recipe pink gooseberries are best; the green ones are too tart.

Soupe au Pistou During Marion Cunningham’s last visit with Richard Olney, he made a version of this recipe, which comes from Simple French Food. As he made it, he told her that he thought the trick to cooking is tasting — in the case of the soup that day, adding the right amount of salt and pepper, then cheese, then a little olive oil, and finally some macaroni. After making the soup in our own kitchens, following the recipe from the book (it's highly adaptable to seasonal produce or the contents of your larder), we can understand why this recipe is so loved among Olney’s fans.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Here's a summer salad with robust flavors.

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

An all-purpose red sauce that's ideal for pasta and meatballs, lasagna, cannelloni, etc.

(PALOMBO CON PESTO TRAPANESE) Here shark and pesto are teamed up in a great entrée. Offer it with the excellent dry white wine, Nozze d'Oro from Regaleali, the star of the Sicilian wine industry.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Borekas -savory pastries made of phyllo dough- are part of the culinary heritage of Israeli Jews of Turkish and Bulgarian backgrounds. Falafel is the most popular street food in Israel, but borekas run a close second. This sophisticated version of the dish makes a delicious appetizer.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Since the tomatoes in the sauce are cooked just briefly, this dish is a breeze to make.

Throughout World War II, everyone who had even a little plot of land was encouraged to grow a vegetable garden. Back then, this comforting soup would most frequently be made from water and contain no chicken, which was a Sunday treat. For convenience, you can skip the first part of this recipe and use six cups of stock or canned broth and omit the chicken altogether. But if you want to make the stock from scratch, be sure to do so a day ahead.

To round out the menu, offer a tossed green salad and uncork a Chianti to go with this delicious pasta dish. Sharpen your chopping and mincing skills with our technique video.

Serve with grilled chicken or fish. Also great with light goat cheese and French bread as an appetizer.

Serve this with the Mushroom Flatbreads or on its own.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional sitting time. This butter is excellent on grilled or broiled chicken, meat, or fish or tossed with cooked vegetables.