Rhubarb and rosemary are surprising bedfellows in this creme brulee.

Upright stalks of brilliantly hued rhubarb are always the first to arrive in the spring produce parade. Rhubarb’s natural astringency may overwhelm at first bite, but with a little sugar and fruit, its tartness is successfully tamed. For this dessert, however, I chose not to rely on rhubarb’s dependable sweet partner, the strawberry, because I did not want additional sweetness or liquid in the compote, which is spooned into the bottom of the custards.

I preferred a subtle background flavor that would tickle the tongue and ground the sweet creaminess of the custard. So, I added a sprig of rosemary -- yes, rosemary -- to the compote and the custard while they cooked, infusing them with a hint of lemon and pine. The result was subtle but notable, producing a creme brulee that is at once rich and creamy, sweet and tart, earthy and heavenly.

Rhubarb and Rosemary Creme Brulee

Active Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes, plus cooling and chilling time

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Compote:

1 pound rhubarb, diced

3/4 cup sugar

1 (2-inch) rosemary sprig

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Creme Brulee:

2 cups heavy cream

1 (2-inch) rosemary sprig

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar plus extra for sprinkling

Finely grated lemon zest for garnish

Combine the compote ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the rhubarb is soft, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat, discard the rosemary sprig, and cool to room temperature.

Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

Arrange six (6-ounce) ramekins in a baking dish. Spoon some of the rhubarb compote into the ramekins, about 1/3 inch deep. (Refrigerate the remaining compote for another use.)

Heat the cream in a clean saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to boil. Remove from the heat and add the rosemary sprig. Let the cream steep for 5 minutes, then discard rosemary sprig. Stir in the vanilla.

In a mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and the 1/2 cup sugar until light. Add the cream in a steady stream, whisking gently to incorporate. Ladle the cream mixture over the rhubarb in the ramekins. Pour boiling water into the baking dish halfway up the ramekins to make a bain marie, or water bath.

Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake until the custards are just set but still wobble a bit when gently jiggled, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool the custards in the water for 15 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the pan, place on a wire rack, and cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Before serving, sprinkle each ramekin with 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar or enough to evenly cover. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and broil under an oven broiler until the tops are deep golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes, rotating the baking sheet for even cooking and carefully watching to prevent burning. If using a blowtorch, hold the flame 2 to 3 inches above the custard, slowly moving it back and forth until the sugar melts and turns deep golden brown.

Serve garnished with lemon zest.

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The key ingredient in this simple and delicious soup is orzo. Orzo is the Italian word for barley, but names can be deceiving, because orzo is not a grain. And despite its rice shape, orzo is not rice, even though orzo is also known as risoni in Italy.

Confused? Don’t be. Orzo is a pasta made from semolina flour, and when cooked it imparts a creamy texture to soups and pasta dishes -- and yes, it can also stand in as a substitute for rice, or even as an addition to rice dishes, such as rice pilaf.

There are a number of ways to prepare orzo, thanks to its shape. Prepare it as you would pasta, cooking in generously salted water until al dente and serving warm or in a salad. It can also be prepared in a method similar to risotto, where a cooking liquid, such as chicken stock, is gradually added while stirring the pasta until the liquid is absorbed before adding more. The result will be a creamy risotto-like pasta dish, thanks to the starch released from the pasta while stirring. Orzo can also be mixed into rice after toasting the grains first to release their flavor.

This easy weeknight soup is forgiving and welcomes any stray vegetables hunkered in your refrigerator. It’s a wonderful way to use leftover chicken from a roasted or a store-bought bird. The addition of the orzo elevates it a notch, with the pasta’s starch infusing the stock with a comforting richness.

Chicken Orzo Soup

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 carrot, thinly sliced

1 celery rib, thinly sliced

1 small bulb fennel, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 cup orzo

6 cups chicken stock

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley leaves

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the carrots, celery and fennel and saute until the vegetables are bright and crisp-tender, about 3 minutes more. Add the thyme and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the orzo and stir to coat and lightly toast, about 1 minute.

Pour in the stock, bring to a boil, and simmer until the orzo is tender, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken, lemon juice, salt and pepper and simmer until the chicken is heated through. Taste for seasoning. Stir in the parsley and serve.

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A glazed ham is an easy way to prepare a celebratory Easter dinner -- or any dinner, for that matter. It’s also a gift that keeps on giving, yielding a generous portion of meat that can be shared and repurposed in sandwiches, eggs, hash, soups and salads.

Ham is so easy to prepare because you begin with a fully cooked store-bought ham. The long cook that you will do in the oven or on the grill is essentially a long warm-up, to thoroughly heat the meat and finish the process with a glaze toward the end of the cooking time to give it a crispy, glossy sheen. The glaze can be simple, but should include fruit and sugar, which will naturally balance the saltiness of the ham, while ensuring a crispy, caramelized lacquer.

The glaze in this recipe is spiked with bourbon. The alcohol burns off when you cook the glaze, leaving behind smoky, honeyed notes that complement the apricot and maple syrup. A little mustard and lemon juice add body and sharpness.

For best results, purchase a good-quality ham with the bone or partial bone in, which adds more flavor to the ham while cooking. Avoid a spiral ham, because it will easily dry out. Roast the ham in the oven or, better yet, on the grill. Grilling the ham creates another dimension of flavor from the smoke, and also frees up your oven if you have other dishes to prepare. This recipe provides instructions for both methods.

Apricot Bourbon Glazed Ham

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours

Yield: Serves: 8 to 10

1 bone-in half ham, fully cooked and smoked, 8 to 10 pounds (not spiralized)

Apricot Bourbon Glaze:

3/4 cup apricot preserves

1/2 cup bourbon

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Remove the ham from the refrigerator 30 minutes to 1 hour before cooking. With the tip of a sharp knife, score the rind and about 1/4 inch of the fat in a 1-inch crisscross pattern on all sides except the cut side.

Combine the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer until the preserves dissolve, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.

If oven roasting, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place the ham cut-side down on a rack in a large roasting pan. Pour 1/2 cup water in the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan with foil and roast in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the foil from the ham and brush with some of the glaze. Continue to cook without the foil until the internal temperature registers 135 degrees when an instant-read thermometer is inserted close to the bone without touching (about 1 to 1 1/2 more hours more), brushing the glaze over the ham every 20 to 30 minutes or so. The ham should develop a deep mahogany color. If it gets too dark before the ham reaches the desired temperature, loosely cover with the foil for the remainder of the cooking time.

If using a grill, prepare the grill for indirect cooking over medium-low heat (about 300 degrees). Place the ham directly in a grill pan. Grill over indirect heat with the grill lid closed for 1 1/2 hours. Brush with some of the glaze. Continue to cook until the internal temperature registers 135 degrees when an instant-read thermometer is inserted close to the bone (about 1 to 1 1/2 more hours more), brushing the glaze over the ham every 20 to 30 minutes or so. The ham should develop a deep mahogany color. If it gets too dark before the ham reaches the desired temperature, loosely cover with foil for the remainder of the cooking time.

Transfer the ham to a cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes. If desired, pour the pan juices into the remaining glaze. Carve the ham into serving pieces and serve with the glaze.

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