Basil

A great way to use beans and corn from your own garden or the farmer's market, this is the perfect dish for a warm summer's evening. Gently poached salmon, its flakes swollen and pillowy, is paired with a lightly glazed combination of fresh shell beans and corn. The poaching liquid is perked up with lemon juice, reduced, enriched with butter, and spooned over the fish to unite the salmon and the vegetables. This dish is especially lovely with green and purple basil, another summer staple.

This smooth puréed soup manages the near—impossible feat of being velvety and creamy without any cream. Ribbons of zucchini add a final soupçon of elegance.

This is a traditional aioli— a mayo-like emulsion made from raw egg yolks. For ease of preparation, you can also replace the egg yolks and oil with one cup of purchased mayonnaise and whisk in the remaining ingredients.

We were bowled over by Miraglia Eriquez's mother's method for grilled breaded chops—it truly combines the best of both worlds, with the crumbs toasting and crisping up while taking on a hint of smoke. Meanwhile, the meat inside couldn't be juicier. A light, peppery salad gives the chops a freshness that tastes just right at a cookout.

Think of this as "panzanella verde." There's a lightness here and an herby earthiness that make this the kind of salad you really want on the hottest of summer days.

The pasta is extra flavorful because it's cooked in the herb broth. Serve with warm rustic bread.

Bruschetta becomes a main course when it's topped with roasted fish.

Serve with purchased guacamole.

A satisfying first-course salad with beautifully balanced Asian flavors.

Use small heirloom tomatoes in assorted colors for a pretty presentation.

These tender little potatoes, stuffed to the brim with a garlicky, cheesy filling, are an easy alternative to mashed or baked potatoes.

A dish that may help prevent cancer, from Chan Le at Le Colonial in Chicago.

In this dessert from Cafe Paradiso, pink peppercorns give the meringues a subtle floral flavor.

Frozen puff pastry makes a quick and easy crust for this modern take on pizza.

Mangoes take the place of tomatoes, so you don't have to wait until summer to enjoy this much-loved Italian salad.

This light spring recipe, from chef Daniel Patterson of San Francisco's Coi, is a great way to use the buttermilk left over after making Patterson's homemade butter . Strips of yuba are simmered in the buttermilk and then topped with a bright-green sauce of fresh peas, basil, and fava leaves. Yuba, also called tofu skin, is made by heating soy milk until a skin forms on the surface. Here, strips of tender, slightly chewy yuba stand in for pasta. (See the Test-Kitchen Tips, below, for more information on ingredients and substitutions.)

"What grows together, goes together" is a concept that often holds true, but disparate denizens of the garden sometimes need coaxing to harmonize. Ferrigno sets about the task with wise restraint—just a little butter, shallot, and fresh basil turns asparagus and peas into the best of friends.

The French version of pesto, pistou is often stirred into soupe au pistou, Provence's vegetable and bean soup. In this dish, the vegetable soup ingredients and pistou are blended together into a flavorful puree that's topped with shrimp. To serve as a main course, add a side of orzo tossed with good-quality olive oil, salt, plenty of pepper, and some grated Asiago cheese.