Tarragon

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Tarragon and mustard may be a classic French combination, but this menu is all American. A domestic Chardonnay, light beer, or fresh lemonade are perfect partners.

Mustard and honey are a combination that's ideal for lamb or tuna steaks. It's a bit too pungent to use for dipping, but the flavor mellows with cooking. Brush the sauce liberally on meat or fish before and during grilling. The recipe makes enough for about 1 1/2 pounds of lamb or fish. Any marinade coming in contact with raw meat, seafood or poultry must be boiled for one minute before using it for basting.

An old-fashioned and versatile dish. Serve it over split hot biscuits (or toasted English muffins) for brunch or over egg noodles for a comforting simple dinner.

Easy and colorful, this side dish is nice with the lamb.

This easy-to-make dish combines the sweetness of tomatoes with the briny essence of capers.

Make this the centerpiece of an hors d'oeuvre platter that includes crackers, breadsticks, cornichons, and olives.

This recipe calls for a standard glass baking dish, but any oven-to-table dish can be used.

The salad components can be made a day ahead and assembled just before serving.

Serve with: Grilled pattypan squash and crusty French bread.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Flavored vinegars can be used to enliven dressings and marinades, finish pan sauces, or pickle vegetables--and they make wonderful gifts. Once the steeping is completed, these vinegars keep for several months. (Garnishes and other solids left in the jar, however, may discolor or break down.)

This is delicious as an accompaniment to cooked shellfish and many white-fleshed fish.

The delicate flavors of the fish pair perfectly with the zesty dressing of the potato salad from Un Grande Café, in Chicago, Illinois.

A versatile alternative to couscous, this is a summer starch that doesn't have to be served warm. If you have fresh or cooked leftover vegetables in the kitchen, toss them in to make a main-course salad. You can also play with the herbs to suit the dishes this will accompany.