Tarragon

We adopted contributing editor Jon Rowley's technique for poaching salmon in water salted like the sea. This method imparts a touch of brine and enables the other seasonings to permeate the fish. Cut into very thick steaks instead of left whole, the fish is easier to handle and doesn't require a poacher. The creamy sauce makes for a sophisticated finish.

The mayo can also be made with dill.

Tarragon leaves and meaty morel caps shoot up all over the Jura mountains in the spring. Here, tossed with juicy green and white asparagus — Europeans are particularly mad for the latter — they're a genuine sampling of the season.

A seasonal abundance of peas means more for everyone. This easy side dish keeps them snappy and fresh with aromatic tarragon and lemon zest.

Ground dried mushrooms become a flavorful crust for the steaks.

This recipe was created by chef Michael Kornick of MK Restaurant in Chicago. It's part of a special menu he created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

This pasta showcases spring produce.

This dish is finished with a delicious (and super-easy) basil and tarragon butter.

Long on flavor and short on time, this classic French dish makes a smart weeknight dinner. Bright with tarragon, it's a great way to welcome spring.

I developed this light and tasty Italian-style tuna salad for Parma, an Italian fresh-made fast-food company that had quite a successful run in Philadelphia, including Air Parma at the airport. The salad is light because the tuna is dressed with olive oil and fresh lemon juice instead of the usual mayonnaise. The fresh herbs give it brightness, and the red bell peppers and purple olives make for a colorful and appetizing preparation. The important thing here is to use the tasty tuna packed in olive oil enjoyed throughout the Mediterranean region, rather than the drier, rather mealy white tuna packed in water.

Beautifully bright green, this herbaceous oil really enhances the anise flavor in the lobster gelées.

Leaving the skins on small red-skinned potatoes adds wonderful color and texture and makes this dish even easier to prepare.

To begin, a little taste of the sea, easily prepared ahead of time. Beautiful, sophisticated, and delicious, mussels are perfect party appetizers. Each bite offers a complex layering of flavors, and the shells make lovely natural dishes.

This recipe provides the filling for Brioche Gaga.

Corn grilled in its husk isn't just easy, it's also more delicious than grilled shucked corn. The silk adds sweetness and also provides an extra layer of moisture that protects the kernels from the heat so they stay tender.

Delicate crabmeat gives sweetness to a light citrus sauce served on top of pasta.