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1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 3 cups)

2 ounces green beans, sliced on the bias into 1-inch pieces

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

½ cup homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock, skimmed of fat

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 cup fresh or frozen shelled edamame

1 teaspoon roughly chopped fresh thyme

Pinch of coarse salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. In a steamer basket set over a pan of simmering water, steam the squash until just tender enough to be easily pierced with a sharp knife, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate; set aside. Add the green beans to the basket; steam until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside.

2. In a 10-inch sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock, and bring to a simmer. Add the corn and edamame; cook, stirring occasionally, until brightly colored and crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.

3. Add the thyme with the steamed squash and green beans; cook until heated through, about 3 minutes, stirring to combine. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve immediately.

creamed fresh corn

SERVES 4

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced

8 ears fresh corn, husks and silk removed, kernels cut from cobs

¼ cup heavy cream

1¼ cups milk

¾ teaspoon coarse salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the jalapeño, and cook 1 minute. Add the corn; cook, stirring, until the kernels are tender but not browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. Transfer 1½ cups cooked corn to a food processor; add the cream and milk. Process until the mixture is very smooth, about 3 minutes. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a medium bowl, pressing down on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible.

3. Return the strained liquid to the sauté pan, and stir to combine with the remaining corn mixture. Cook over medium heat until the liquid just comes to a simmer. Remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

quick braised artichokes

SERVES 4

If you like, snip the prickly points of the leaves with scissors before you cook the artichokes. The tender leaves and hearts are delicious dipped in Aïoli (Fish and Shellfish).

2 large artichokes

1 lemon, halved

6 sprigs thyme

1 garlic clove, smashed

2 dried bay leaves

½ teaspoon coriander seeds (optional)

2 teaspoons coarse salt

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1. Cut each artichoke lengthwise into quarters through the stem. Using a spoon, remove the fuzzy choke from the heart of each quarter, and immediately squeeze the juice from one of the lemon halves over all artichokes to prevent them from discoloring.

2. Place all the ingredients, including the remaining lemon half, in a large saucepan; fill with enough cold water to cover the artichokes. Cover the pan, and bring the water to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook just until the artichoke hearts can be pierced with a fork but are not too soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and let the artichokes sit in the cooking liquid until ready to serve, up to 10 minutes. Transfer carefully to serving plates with a slotted spoon, allowing excess liquid to drain off.

flageolet

MAKES 2 CUPS

Flageolet, pale green kidney beans, are prevalent in French cooking. Their delicate flavor is well suited for simple preparations and is particularly good with lamb.

1½ cups dried flageolet beans, sorted and rinsed well

8 cups water, plus more for soaking

1 sprig rosemary

1 dried bay leaf

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Place the beans in a large stockpot. Cover with cold water by 2 inches; let soak overnight in the refrigerator.

2. Transfer the beans to a colander to drain. Return