White Bean

Because the beans need to be soaked overnight, start making this a day or two before you plan to serve it.

The cooking water for these beans becomes a flavorful broth to serve them in.

This Indian-inspired salad can also be served warm as a side dish.

For this recipe, the lamb chops are frenched all the way down to the eye of the meat-which involves completely trimming the layers of fat and thin layer of meat that surround the eye and scraping the bones clean of fat and meat. You may want to have this done by your butcher.

The Dijon mustard in the dressing gives this easy salad extra kick

Our food editors think beans cook more evenly and hold their shape better with a long soak — which is why the ones in this recipe are soaked for 6 hours. But, you can use the following quick-soak method if you prefer: In a saucepan cover beans with cold water by 2 inches. Bring water to a boil and boil beans 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and soak beans 1 hour.

It may be corn season, but canned or frozen corn kernels work just as well as fresh in this corn salad. A mixed green salad rounds out the menu nicely.

This is a great salad to make when you have leftover grilled salmon.

Jean-Yves Jaulin's Mojhettes au Jambon

A stunning vegetarian platter.

Slightly sweet, fresh ricotta, which can be found in many Italian markets, makes this starter especially delicious. Regular ricotta also works well.

Use vegetable stock or broth to make this soup vegetarian.

Make this at least one day and up to two days ahead for best flavor. This is a much simplified version of the classic smoked meat and bean cassoulet.

"Lidia's in Kansas City, Missouri, serves a rustic white bean and potato soup that would make a perfect meatless entrée for a winter evening," writes Deborah Johnson of Columbia, Missouri. "I order it every time I go there. Do you think chef Dan Swinney would part with his recipe?" Start this recipe a day ahead so that there's time for the beans to soak overnight.

Dry-cured country ham can be substituted for the hickory-smoked ham called for here.

Cheryl Zook of Ketchum, Idaho, writes: "After I graduated from college last fall, I spent a few months in Europe. By far, my favorite stop was Florence. I'll always remember the vegetable soup I had at Ristorante Mamma Gina near the Ponte Vecchio." This is almost as thick as a stew. If you prefer a thinner soup, simply add more vegetable stock. Because the beans need to soak overnight, begin preparation a day ahead.

Try this with ciabatta or whole wheat bread.