Chives

Those bags of prepacked greens aren't just for salads. Some lend themselves to form the base of nutritious and delicious dressings for salads and sandwiches. Here, we're combining baby arugula and using its peppery flavor with the oniony tang of chives and orange juice. The beauty of these bold ingredients is that you can substitute low-fat mayonnaise for the full-fat variety and not miss a beat of flavor. Because we squeezed a fresh navel orange to supply our juice quotient, we decided to use the rest of the fruit as a garnish.

Q. I am crazy about Asian pears but I can hardly afford to buy them. Can I grow them in my back yard?A. Yes, Asian pear trees seem to grow well in all parts of Maryland. You'll want to grow at least two different cultivars to ensure good pollination. Hosui and Olympic are two recommended varieties for Maryland.Asian pear trees are vigorous and begin bearing fruit by the third year after planting. They tend to have fewer pest problems than peach or apple trees, but you'll need to prune and practice pest control to have successful harvests.

Anyone who grows herbs probably has gone out to his or her garden or patio container every once in a while just to pinch a leaf and breathe in the scent. Running your fingers over pine-like rosemary, sturdy gray-green sage or bright big-leafed basil releases rich aromas that conjure up images of savory roasted chicken, Thanksgiving dressing or pesto-coated angel-hair pasta.A garden isn't required to enjoy herbs, since fresh herbs are readily available in markets these days. But store-bought herbs aren't cheap, so you'll want to make good use of them and preserve them as long as possible.

Mary Baldwin of Baltimore wrote: "I'd be the envy of the ladies at my pinochle card party if I could obtain the recipe for a hot crab dip that is served over toast and was the hit of the Maryland Top 100 Women affair held at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in March this year. The buffet was the best I've ever seen, but there was no mention of who prepared the dish. Please get it for me."Food tester Laura Reiley chose a recipe sent in by Kirk Kraft of Baltimore, who wrote, "Well, I've never been to the Maryland Top 100 Women affair, but I have made this for little get-togethers, and it always is a hit."

* ITEM: INLAND VALLEY MUNCHSKIN MEALS* WHAT YOU GET: 20 ounces, or 10 potato skins* COST: $4.59* TIME TO PREPARE: 15 minutes in conventional oven or 4 minutes in the microwave* REVIEW: Munchskin Meals tastes just like a restaurant order of loaded potato skins but costs a couple of bucks less. Not sold yet? These spuds tasted equally good from conventional oven or microwave, and the kit includes ample amounts of cheese, bacon and sour cream with chives. Junk food junkies, go directly to your grocer's frozen food section for a hit.Pub Date: 7/23/97

Many people write cookbooks, but few write the kind of books we turn to over and over again. Abby Mandel writes those kinds of books.Now, Mandel, author of "Abby Mandel's Cuisinart Classroom," the book that taught people to love their food processors, has released "Celebrating the Midwestern Table: Real Food for Real Times" (Doubleday, $30).Her first book in eight years, this collection of almost 200 recipes suits today's tastes. But it also seems likely to become a trusted companion for years to come, partly because of Mandel's knowledge of what Americans are really cooking and eating these days and partly because her recipes are well written and reliable.

Fresh sea scallops served on a bed of spinach-flavored couscous make a quick dinner that takes about 20 minutes. Scallops, which need very little cooking, should be prepared so that the inside remains creamy. Prolonged cooking will shrink and toughen them.The secret to searing the scallops is to make sure your skillet is very hot. The scallops will only need a couple of minutes to cook this way. If your scallops seem very large, check for doneness by slicing into one. If the meat is opaque, they are done; if translucent, cook another 30 seconds.

I have always believed that onions and garlic run through my blood. My heritage is Jewish and Italian, and these twin influences taught me early on that onions and garlic are as important as salt, pepper and a close-knit family.Nana taught me how to prepare old-fashioned Italian food, rich with these ingredients. I remember staying close to her in the kitchen while she cooked greens laced with olive oil and stuffed huge ravioli with slowly stewed onions and meat. Bubbe cooked strictly kosher, feeding me oniony potato pancakes and garlicky homemade pickles.

Most people come to St. Barthelemy for its exquisite beaches. I come here to cook. French West Indians cook with an uncomplicated palate: a squeeze of fresh lime juice here, a splash of rum there, a generous hand with garlic, thyme and the Caribbean chives called cives.West Indian Pumpkin SoupLook for calabazas at Hispanic or West Indian markets. If unavailable, use a firm northern squash, such as butternut or Hubbard.Makes about 7 cups; serves 61 tablespoon olive oil1 onion, chopped2 stalks celery, chopped1 carrot, chopped3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (1 tablespoon)

Fresh herbs may have caught consumers' fancy, but just a few varieties make up the bulk of all supermarket purchases. By far, the most popular fresh herb is basil."

While visiting Baltimore in 2003, Patti Kress from Osprey Fla., had an incredibly good cheese spread that she purchased at a cheese stand at the Cross Street Market. She thinks it contained asiago cheese, cream cheese and chives. Since she doesn't get to Baltimore often, she was hoping to find a recipe for the spread so she could re-create it at home. Tracy Morgan from Santa Rosa, Calif., says she came up with a delicious cheese spread that sounds very close to what Kress described. The spread is very simple to make and reminded me of a homemade Boursin cheese.

The flavor of garlic is essential for the kitchen, beloved by cooks and gardeners alike. But you don't have to grow garlic to reap its taste fresh from your garden. There's an easy-to-cultivate plant - Chinese chive - that resembles other members of the onion family but offers that mild garlic flavor and doesn't produce a bulb. Chinese chive (Allium tuberosum) has many common names, including garlic chive, Chinese leek and, in Japan, nira. It's been used for centuries in Asian cooking, but can add something different to Western dishes, too. It's flat-leafed and has a beautiful white flower that comes up about a month after the first tender green shoots.

When entertaining in April, I serve dishes like Creamy White Turnip Soup with Toasted Breadcrumbs and Chives. This satisfying potage is made with small white turnips (which are harbingers of spring) that are sweeter and milder than the stronger yellow winter ones known as rutabagas. These white turnips tinged with purple are peeled and diced, then sauteed along with chopped leeks in butter. This vegetable duo is simmered in chicken stock until tender; then the mixture is pureed and enriched with milk.

Usually reserved for restaurant dining, scallops are an elegant entree. This recipe for Pan-Seared Scallops With Ginger Sauce is a dish fit for company, yet easy to prepare. About the size of a marshmallow, the bivalve has a mildly sweet, slightly nutty flavor that even those who do not typically like fish usually enjoy. And like fish, scallops are good for your heart. The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two fish meals per week. Scallops are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, but an even better source of vitamin B-12, which helps the body convert homocysteine, a chemical that attacks the blood vessel walls, into a benign substance.

Recipe of the Week: Kabobs 52 Easy Recipes for Year-Round Grilling Lobel's Prime Time Grilling Recipes & Tips From America's #1 Butchers By Stanley, Leon, Evan, Mark and David Lobel Wiley / 2007 / $27.95 I've never been to the Lobels' famous Madison Avenue butcher shop, frequented by Manhattan's finest socialites and celebrities. But man, oh man, do I want to go now. The second edition of their cookbook includes 160 recipes, ranging from brisket, ribs, duck and pheasant to the perfect-sounding burgers.

Those bags of prepacked greens aren't just for salads. Some lend themselves to form the base of nutritious and delicious dressings for salads and sandwiches. Here, we're combining baby arugula and using its peppery flavor with the oniony tang of chives and orange juice. The beauty of these bold ingredients is that you can substitute low-fat mayonnaise for the full-fat variety and not miss a beat of flavor. Because we squeezed a fresh navel orange to supply our juice quotient, we decided to use the rest of the fruit as a garnish.

Food: 3 1/2 stars Service: 3 stars Atmosphere: 3 stars If you've had your fill of small plates, spa cuisine and offbeat fusion dishes, your next meal out should be at Cynthia's in Severna Park. There chef/owner Brian Bennington and his talented pastry chef -- co-owner and wife Cindy Bennington -- are proving there is still room for grandeur in the kitchen. Nothing against Ledo's Pizza, the Dress Barn, and the many other tenants of the Park Plaza shopping center; but this enjoyable restaurant deserves to be somewhere a little more elegant.

Carina Flaherty points to a feathery mound of pale yellow blossoms. "Coreopsis `Moonbeam,' my favorite," she says nonchalantly, moving on to pentas, sedum, bee balm and assorted other Latin and common names for what's growing in her family's tiny Philadelphia garden. Garden educators, always looking for ways to introduce kids to a world still primarily enjoyed by adults, would swoon over this lively 9-year-old. She's living proof that kids can dig gardening big time, if given the chance.

Big Small Plates By Cindy Pawlcyn with Pablo Jacinto and Erasto Jacinto Small Plates: Appetizers as Meals By Marguerite Marceau Henderson Gibbs Smith / 2006 / $18.95 This highly accessible book features small plates drawn from countries throughout the world, including Greece, Italy, Spain and India. Aimed primarily at those in search of easy entertainment ideas, many of the recipes are light and sophisticated; others would make an excellent meal just for family. The Pappardelle alla Primavera -- wide noodles with asparagus, red peppers, peas and carrots tossed in a light cream sauce and topped with parmesan cheese and chives -- was an instant hit in my household.

It's hard to imagine French home cooking without a dollop of creme fraiche, that silky, subtly tart cultured cream that has a way of making food taste better. In France, just about every home cook keeps it handy to enrich sauces, dress up cooked vegetables or balance the sweetness of desserts. At A.O.C. in West Hollywood, chef Suzanne Goin mashes fingerling potatoes with butter and Italian parsley, then stirs in a generous dollop of house-made creme fraiche. Luscious, nutty and a little tangy, it's delicious with those earthy potatoes.