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SERVES 4

4 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

One 4-pound chicken, backbone removed (see Note, Fast and Crispy Roast Chicken)

Blue Cheese–Grilled Chicken over Balsamic Tomatoes

I love the simplicity of this dish. It contains only a few ingredients, but it’s bursting with flavor. Choose your ingredients carefully, starting with great-tasting free-range chicken and mellow blue cheese, such as Maytag. The tomatoes should be sweet, tangy, and juicy because the tomato juice mingles with the balsamic vinegar, creating a light sauce for the chicken.

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Preheat the grill to medium. Brush the chicken with the olive oil. Scatter the garlic over the chicken breasts and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Brush 1 tablespoon of the balsamic vinegar over the chicken.

Oil the grill grate. Grill the chicken, covered, for 8 to 10 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, sprinkling the blue cheese over the chicken during the last 2 minutes of cooking.

Meanwhile, arrange the tomatoes on a platter and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. Serve the chicken over the tomatoes.

SERVES 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 ½ pounds)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

½ cup crumbled blue cheese

12 tomato slices (about 2 tomatoes)

Double-Yolk Sour Lemon Bars

These lemon bars are tart, sweet, and delicate, all in the same bite. They’re a perfect combination for those who like a little pucker with their dessert. These lemon bars honor a pullet’s first-laid eggs, which often have double yolks. The first week my girls began laying, I had four eggs with double yolks. Don’t worry, double yolks are not necessary to make these bars. But if you’d like some double yolks because of their novelty, you’re more likely to find them in purchased extra-large or jumbo eggs than in standard large ones.

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To make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan or coat with nonstick cooking spray. Beat together the flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer at low speed. Add the butter and beat until it’s distributed throughout and the mixture is moist and crumbly. Sprinkle over the baking pan. With lightly floured hands, press the dough into the bottom of the pan to form a crust. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.

To make the filling: While the crust is baking, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks in a medium bowl until blended. Add the granulated sugar and flour and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the lemon juice and then the lemon zest. Pour the filling over the hot crust.

Bake the lemon bars at 300°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until set. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into 24 bars, and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

MAKES 24 LEMON BARS

CRUST

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup powdered sugar

1⁄3 cup cornstarch

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened and cut up

FILLING

4 eggs plus 2 egg yolks

1 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¾ cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 large lemons)

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

Powdered sugar for sprinkling

Frozen Chocolate–Almond Meringue Cake

This decadent cake is a marvel of textures, from the crisp meringues and crunchy almonds to the soft swirls of chocolate. The filling is so rich and creamy it’s like eating your favorite chocolate ice cream. (Save the yolks when you separate the eggs for the meringue; you’ll use them for the custard in the frozen chocolate filling.)

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To make the meringue layers: Preheat the oven to