Tarragon

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Here's an easy, make-ahead recipe. If asparagus is unavailable, steamed broccoli is a nice substitute.

Butter melting over a pan-fried steak mingles with its rosy juices, creating a luscious sauce right on the plate. For smaller appetites, these large steaks can be cut in half to serve four.

This delicious salad is from Johannes.

Complete this one with cherry tomatoes, potato chips, and lemonade.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 45 min

A clever way to present every morsel of a cooked whole artichoke is to remove all the leaves before serving, and use their bits of tender flesh as a stuffing for the hollow artichoke bottom. It takes a bit of time to scrape the leaves of an artichoke clean, so reserve this as a special treat for 2, or at most 4.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

At the restaurant the chef garnishes this dish with fresh seasonal flowers, chervil, and chives.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

An elegant entrée in about 15 minutes — using ingredients you are likely to have on hand. Serve the chicken with mashed potatoes and baby peas or a Bibb lettuce salad for a balanced weeknight meal. Finish with a raspberry tart from the bakery.

Both fresh fennel and fennel seeds flavor this creamy mash of Yukon Golds. It can be made eight hours ahead and rewarmed.

Orzo pilaf and stewed tomatoes simmered with sliced fennel bulb are nice side dishes. Classic chocolate mousse is the perfect finish.

Pour a nice Gamay to enjoy alongside.