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Food Processor

Summer Vegetable Tart

Sautéed vegetables are piled atop a creamy goat cheese-custard filling.

Spiced Tomato Chutney (Mountain Jam)

Piquant and full of spices, this chutney is an unexpected, pleasantly bright condiment for scrambled eggs. Active time: 45 minutes Start to finish: 1 week (includes allowing flavors to develop)

Strawberry Sorbet

I know of no better way with strawberries than this quick and simple method. You don't need an ice cream machine to make this sorbet, just a little sugar, water, and a food processor.

Pesto-Crusted Chicken Breasts

This flavorful chicken makes an impressive impromptu dinner when accompanied by the Caramelized Onion and Roasted Red Pepper Linguine and a nice salad (use a bagged lettuce mixture, of course). Frozen chicken will work here if that's what you have on hand; just defrost it quickly in the microwave.

Pasta and Bean Soup

Pasta e Fagioli Venetians prize a soup made thick by using mashed beans. This recipe is based on the preparations at Venice's Fiaschetteria Toscana and Osteria alla Bomba. A tablespoon of salt may sound like a lot, but it is needed to bring out the beans' flavor.

Ginger Scones

"While visiting Los Angeles recently," says Katherine Mollen of New York, New York, "I made sure to get to La Brea Bakery. The ginger scones were the best I've ever had. Since there's nothing that comes close here in New York, I'd like to try to make them at home."

Spaghetti with Walnut Sage Pesto

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 25 min The flavor of fresh sage can be intense. You may want to start by adding 3 tablespoons of sage to the pesto, then taste after processing and add another tablespoon if you'd like a stronger flavor.

Mole Cake with Cherry-Almond Ice Cream, Tamarind Anglaise, and Orange Caramel

The name of this cake derives from the flavors that are reminiscent of the classic mole, an aromatic, delicious chocolaty savory sauce that originated in Pueblo, Mexico. I have always thought that dried chiles were a surprisingly good match for chocolate, and with the addition of canela, cloves, and pumpkin seeds, the full mole flavors emerge. For a shortcut, substitute sectioned grapefruit for the orange caramel.

Fried Green Tomato "Blt"

Margaret DeMatteo of Stirling, New Jersey, writes: "My husband recently took me to the nearby Perryville Inn to celebrate my birthday. We had a fabulous 'BLT' appetizer made with layers of fried green tomatoes, pancetta, and basil mayonnaise. I would greatly appreciate it if you could get the recipe."

Prune Tequila Ice Cream

This recipe is an accompaniment for Apple Crisp with Prune Tequila Ice Cream . Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 2 days (includes macerating and freezing)

Cauliflower Purée and Caviar on Cloverleaf Potato Chips

Though the chips and purée can be served at room temperature, the caviar should be chilled, so assemble these hors d'oeuvres in batches as platters need replenishing.

Meringue Napoleons with Lime Ice Cream and Blackberries

This recipe yields more meringue squares than you'll need for the ice cream–filled napoleons. The extras can replace any that break — and they also make a delicious snack.

Fresh Pasta

Some of the tenderest pasta is made with Italian "00" soft wheat flour. Since this flour can be hard to find, we used a combination of cake flour and all-purpose flour with good results.

Wild Mushroom Soup with Horseradish Cream

This classic regional dish is from Ralph Potter, chef at Darley's at Lilianfels in the Blue Ridge Mountains west of Sydney. "Wild mushrooms are so plentiful when the sun has come out after it's been raining for a few days, why not be indulgent and make a special soup out of them to celebrate the season."

Chopped Salad with Chicken, Couscous, and Vegetables

"During a vacation in Scottsdale, Arizona, my brother-in-law took me to his favorite restaurant, Cowboy Ciao," writes Linden Avery of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. "It serves a very colorful, delicious chopped salad called a Stetson. Could you get the recipe so I can re-create it at home?" This main-course salad is presented with the ingredients lined up in rows. For convenience, you could just toss the salad instead.

Baby Carrot Crudites with Green Onion and Mint Dip

Yogurt gives this dip a refreshing tang.

Dulce de Leche Ice Cream Pie with Mocha Fudge Sauce

Start this a day ahead and freeze overnight. For the crust, blend crumbled vanilla wafer cookies in a processor until crumbs form.

Lima Bean Gazpacho

Gazpacho de Habas This gazpacho has a haunting flavor — barely identifiable as lima beans — and is also excellent when you substitute pine nuts for the limas, as the chef at El Churrasco, in Córdoba, often does. The addition of an egg — not at all unusual in white gazpachos — gives this soup a creamier, richer taste. It is best served in small portions.
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