Dill

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 25 min

Serve thick-cut french fries and a mixed-greens, beet and onion salad alongside the fish. Finish with a purchased custard pie; tall glasses of mint iced tea would complement all of it nicely.

This pie is made from the overflowing bounty of the backyard garden. Fresh corn and zucchini seasoned with dill bake underneath Parmesan-crusted tomatoes to make a scrumptious entrée that can be served warm or at room temperature.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional sitting time.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Dill is the secret seasoning in this hearty stew. Serve it with lots of bread.

This brunch dish makes delicious use of leftover cooked salmon or potatoes.

In this classic vegetable preparation, the cooking liquid is used to make the velvety sauce. The dish is normally served at room temperature, but it's equally good warm.

Serve this dish on a bed of orzo to capture every drop of the tart, creamy sauce. After trimming and slicing each artichoke, immediately place the quarters in the pot of lemony water so that they won't turn brown. What to drink: Sauvignon Blanc.

Here's a tangy dressing that is great on sliced tomatoes, mixed greens, hard-boiled eggs, or cold steamed potatoes.

"My husband and I celebrated my fiftieth birthday on the island of St. John, where we enjoyed many terrific meals," says Eileen Hruby of Tom's River, NJ. "One day, we had lunch at Pusser's Ltd. in Cruz Bay. The coleslaw they served was extraordinary: cool and hot at the same time. I have no idea how it was made." Serrano chilies give this dish a real kick; the lime juice makes it refreshing.

Serve this entrée with steamed white rice and warm pita rounds.

Tah-dig—the crunchy crust of rice on the bottom of the pot—is considered by many to be the prize of Persian rice. Here it is rivaled by the surprise of pistachios, whose natural sweetness is brought out by the dill.

Chlodnik Polish cooks serve this soup (pronounced "hu-WOHD-neek") as a cooling first course for summer meals. It's a delicious alternative to gazpacho.

Start this at least one day before serving.

Start the gravlax at least two days in advance (the sauce can also be prepared ahead of time, leaving just quick assembly on the day of the party). What to drink: Champagne (or sparkling wine) is a classic aperitif, and versatile enough to pair nicely with the salmon's slightly sweet mustard sauce as well as with the rich Foie Gras and Cream Eggs .