Yam recipes

Berry fruit dip blends non-fat sour cream with seedless raspberry jam, honey, and bright lime zest. A 5-minute, no-cook party appetizer that chills into a tangy-sweet dipper for fresh fruit.

Kolachkes are Polish-American cream cheese cookies: a tender butter-and-cream-cheese dough wrapped around fruit jam, walnut, or sweet cheese filling. Rolled in powdered sugar instead of flour.

Norwegian meat salad with julienned lamb or veal and ham in a creamy vinaigrette, garnished with sliced egg and pickled beet. A hearty Scandinavian main dish salad.

Homemade deviled ham spread with warm spices, hot mustard, anchovy paste, and a whisper of sherry. Skip the canned stuff and make a version that actually tastes like something.

Granny's ham and potato gratin for a crowd layers parboiled potatoes, diced ham, and Swiss cheese with a mustard-garlic bechamel. Feeds 24, bakes in under an hour, and can be assembled a day ahead.

Italian-style lentil soup with diced ham, fresh tomatoes, carrots, celery, and bay leaf simmered into a hearty, protein-rich pot. Top each bowl with grated Parmesan for restaurant flavor.

Yellow split pea soup simmered with a ham bone, carrots, celery, and thyme for 3 hours until thick and smoky. A hearty, old-fashioned soup that turns a leftover ham bone into a full meal.

Mandeltorte is a German almond torte with a buttery pastry shell, rich almond filling, raspberry jam layer, and piped lemon icing. An elegant European bakery-style dessert.

Beau's notes: * There are no "jalapeno beans;" there are jalapeno peppers and pinto beans. I have two recipes, both of which are quite tref, but a Catholic should worry? But if you are hosting a Jewish person, smoked turkey will substitute most agreeably for the chazer called for in either recipe.]

Tender cream cheese cookies studded with coconut and apricot preserves for jewel-like drops that bake up golden and soft.

Not too sweet, very smooth and creamy, but not super rich; strawberries and apricot jam bring lots of fresh and fruity flavor, the phyllo pastry comes out golden brown and crispy. A delicious and guilt-free dessert that everyone will enjoy!

Traditional Cherokee succotash with lima beans, fresh-cut corn, and smoky ham hocks simmered low and slow with bacon drippings. A hearty, soul-warming side dish.

Homemade grainy raspberry mustard with whole mustard seeds, raspberry vinegar, white wine, and seedless raspberry jam. A sweet-sharp condiment that keeps for up to a month.

Soft apricot cream cheese cookies with flaked coconut. Butter and cream cheese creamed with apricot preserves for a tender, fruity drop cookie in 30 minutes.

Fettuccine in lemon cream sauce with ham strips and asparagus. A bright, creamy pasta dish that comes together while the noodles cook.

Ham and potato bake folds diced cooked potatoes and cubed ham into a sharp cheddar cream sauce with bright pimento. Five-ingredient one-dish casserole that turns leftovers into dinner.