Asparagus and Golden Beet Salad

Asparagus pairs with tender butter lettuce and sweet golden beets in this salad, which comes together quickly, with a little bit of prep. Golden beets are relatively easy to find at most supermarkets and simple to cook. Just do so a day in advance to save yourself some time. Similarly, you can prepare the eggs a day in advance, peeling and quartering them just before serving.

Makes: 4 to 6 servings

Total time: 1 hour

2 medium golden beets, cooked (see note)

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Salt and black pepper

1 bunch medium asparagus (about 15 spears)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 small heads of butter lettuce, leaves separated, rinsed and patted dry

2 to 3 soft-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered (optional; see note)

1. Cut beets into smaller wedges or slices and transfer to a salad bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Snap off tough ends of asparagus. In a medium pot, bring abundantly salted water to a low boil and cook asparagus for 3 to 4 minutes, until just tender. Remove and spread out on a kitchen towel to cool. Set aside.

3. Make the vinaigrette: Put the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar and all of the lemon juice in a small bowl. Add mustard and whisk to dissolve. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Add salad leaves to beets and dress very lightly with about 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette.

5. Arrange leaves and beets on a platter or individual plates. Top with asparagus and a half egg, if using, per plate. Drizzle remaining dressing over everything and serve.

Note: To prepare the beets, peel and quarter them. Add to a medium pot over medium-high heat, add water to cover and salt abundantly. Simmer until easily pierced with a fork, 25 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the beets. Cool. (You can make the beets in advance and refrigerate for up to 2 days.)

For soft-boiled eggs, lower large eggs into rapidly boiling water; when water returns to boil, lower heat to a brisk simmer; cook 7 minutes, then cool in ice water and peel.

Spring Chicken With Mushroom and Lemon

For a main course, chicken-noodle anything is always an attractive option, and here, boneless, skinless chicken thighs come together with button mushrooms and a sauce of chicken broth, white wine and crème fraîche for a bright, filling stew. It’s all finished with a generous handful of tender sweet herbs and lots of lemon zest. Egg noodles or fresh pasta, such as pappardelle, are a good choice.

Makes: 4 to 6 servings

Total time: 1 1/2 hours

4 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

1 pound button mushrooms or a mix of other mushrooms, sliced

Salt and black pepper

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, for dusting

2 large shallots, diced

1 small bay leaf

1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth

2 cups chicken broth

12 ounces wide egg noodles or wide-cut pasta, for serving

1/4 cup crème fraîche

1 cup frozen peas (optional)

2 tablespoons snipped chives

2 tablespoons roughly chopped dill

1 tablespoon roughly chopped tarragon

1 tablespoon roughly chopped mint

3 tablespoons roughly chopped chervil or parsley

Zest of 2 lemons (about 2 tablespoons)

1. Put 2 tablespoons butter in Dutch oven or deep, wide skillet over medium-high heat. When butter sizzles, add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until mushrooms are lightly browned and softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off heat. Transfer mushrooms to plate and set aside.

2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dust lightly with flour; shake off excess. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the same Dutch oven and turn heat to medium. When butter sizzles, add half of the chicken, letting it brown on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Remove from the pot. Add remaining chicken and repeat, setting aside the chicken. (You may have to add more butter or oil.)

3. Add shallots to Dutch oven and cook over medium-high heat until softened, about 2 minutes. Add bay leaf and wine, and simmer for about 2 minutes, scraping pot to deglaze any browned bits. Return chicken to pot and turn heat to high.

4. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to maintain a brisk simmer and cook, uncovered, until the chicken is tender, about 20 minutes, then raise heat to high and let liquid reduce by half, about 5 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, cook noodles or pasta in salted water.

6. Add reserved mushrooms, crème fraîche and peas, if using, to the stew. Reduce sauce again, until thickened to a gravylike consistency, a few minutes more. Taste and adjust seasoning. To finish, stir in half of the chives, dill, tarragon, mint, chervil and lemon zest, reserving part of the herb mix to sprinkle over top.

7. Drain noodles or pasta, transfer to warm serving platter and spoon chicken and sauce on top. Finish with more of the herb mixture.