What's the buzz? Try these tasty honey dishes

1. Bring several quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt, add the green beans and cook until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Drain the beans and shock in cold water, draining again before setting aside.
2. Put the bacon into a skillet and cook over low-medium heat until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the bacon on a paper-towel-lined plate and set aside.
3. In a wide, heavy-bottomed sauté pan, heat the butter and add the walnut halves. Sauté until they start to brown, 3 minutes. Pour in 1/2 cup of water, then the honey. Stir and cook until the water has evaporated and the honey has caramelized and coated the walnuts, approximately 5 minutes. Before the walnuts become too dry, add the cooked beans and the bacon and cook together, tossing and stirring, to evenly distribute the walnuts and bacon.
4. Serve at once.

1. Put the ginger, honey, rice wine, soy, 1 tablespoon olive oil, lime juice, jalapeno, and cilantro in a blender and puree till smooth.
2. Put the chicken into a shallow baking dish or sealable plastic bag, pour 2/3 of the marinade over the chicken, cover or seal, and marinate, refrigerated, for 6 hours or overnight. Reserve the remaining marinade for basting as you cook.
3. Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to a medium high heat.
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade, season with salt and pepper and place on the grill. Grill the chicken until the juices run clear when pierced with a sharp, thin-bladed knife, approximately 5 to 6 minutes per side. Brush or drizzle the reserved marinade over the chicken while it cooks. When it has cooked to an internal temperature of 165 °, remove and set the chicken aside to cool slightly.
5. Slice the tomato into 1/4-inch thick slices; arrange the slices on a large platter in a decorative, circular pattern, arranging slices of avocado over the tomatoes, place the grilled chicken in the center of the platter. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the chicken, squeeze some fresh lime juice, and serve with chopped scallions over the top.

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Put the beets in a bowl, drizzle with the oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat the beets with the oil. Transfer the beets to a roasting pan, spreading them out in a single layer, and roast in the oven until tender to a knife-tip, 15 to 20 minutes for very small; 45 minutes for very large. Remove the pan from the oven and let the beets cool completely.
3. When cool enough to handle, slip the beets out of their skins, using paper towels to grasp them and a paring knife to help loosen the skin. Discard the skins. If using full-grown beets, quarter them or slice them into eighths.
4. Put the butter in a wide, heavy-bottomed sauté pan and melt it over medium-high heat. Add the beets and honey and cook, stirring, until lightly caramelized, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the sesame seeds and mint, shake and stir the pan to coat the beets evenly. Drizzle lemon juice over the beets and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the beets and all the juices and contents of the pan to a bowl and let cool slightly.
5. Add the watercress to the beets in the bowl and toss.
6. Divide the salad among 4 salad plates and serve.

1. Put the tamarind and honey in a small bowl. Pour in the hot water and stir until the mixture comes together in a paste. Add the rice wine, fish sauce and stir well to combine. Set aside.
2. Arrange the cucumber slices in an overlapping pattern around the perimeter of a serving platter. Arrange the tomatoes decoratively around the platter, overlapping the cucumbers where necessary. Arrange the pea shoots in a heap in the center of the platter. Set the platter aside.
3. Heat the peanut oil in a large sauté pan or wok over high heat. Add the chili peppers and heat through for 30 seconds. Add the ginger, cook for 30 seconds, then add the shrimp and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tamarind glaze and bring to a boil. Toss or stir the shrimp well to coat in the glaze. Cook just until the shrimp turn firm and pink, 1 to 2 minutes more. If using whole Thai chili peppers remove them with tongs and discard them.
4. Spoon the shrimp over the bean sprouts, scatter the peanuts over the top, and serve the salad family-style from the center of the table.

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Put the fruit in a bowl with 1 cup of the sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch and honey. Gently stir together, and then pour into a 3- to 4-quart casserole or soufflé dish.
3. Put the flour, remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl and stir together until thoroughly mixed. Add the buttermilk and combine. Add the cold butter quickly; combining only briefly, to leave the mixture as lumpy as possible, which helps make a flaky crust.
4. Lightly flour a work surface and dump the lumpy pastry out onto it. Flatten gently with your hands or a rolling pin into a shape approximately 1-inch thick and just large enough to cover the top of the fruit in the dish completely. I like to cut the pastry into 2-inch circles or squares using all the pastry. Top the fruit with the pastry, brush with melted butter, dust the top with sugar, and bake in the oven until the pastry top is nicely browned, 20 to 25 minutes.
5. Serve warm with honey flavored ice cream or whipped cream.