EASTER  By Christy Rost   One of my all-time favorite Easter holidays was celebrated over twenty  years ago in a grand country estate nestled in the Loire Valley. Just a few  hours drive from our Paris home, my husband, Randy, our two young sons and I had the home to ourselves for a week, thanks to the generosity of very dear friends.  Leaving the hustle and bustle of Paris behind for a few days was a welcome change. Our sons loved the opportunity to run freely in the grass, an activity not permitted in many of our neighborhood parks in Paris. Randy and I cherished the peace and quiet of the estate, far from the "togetherness" of city dwelling. Here, we could walk along trellis-covered garden paths and enjoy spring's first signs of new growth. Rock gardens were filled with flowering bushes, daffodils and tulips. We had been given a key to the wine cellar, and even with our uneducated palates, we knew these were some of the finest vintages we had ever tasted. Ah, to have access to that cellar now!  Easter Sunday is April 15. With Easter just days away, the English  garden outside my kitchen window is thankfully in full bloom with azaleas,  iris, tulips, phlox, and pansies. It is the perfect setting for an Easter  egg hunt or to gather with family to enjoy a glass of wine before Easter  dinner. Indoors, large platters and baskets of every description are  decorated with pastel paper shred and a display of colorful eggs collected  through the years. Around the base of a large potted ficus tree in my  kitchen, I have grouped silk azaleas and tulips to mimic nature's outdoor  display. Heavy quilts have been cleaned and stored away until autumn, and  white and pastel coverlets now grace the arm of chairs and sofas. Spicy  potpourris have been replaced by lightly scented candles and floral  potpourris.  My menu for Easter dinner will include puff pastry appetizers, Easter  Ham with Oven-Basted New Potatoes, asparagus with a Dijon vinaigrette, fresh fruit, homemade yeast rolls and an Easter Basket Cake. What I particularly like about this menu is that much of it can be made ahead. Early in the week, squares of puff pastry may be filled with a variety of vegetable, cheese or meat mixtures, folded and sealed with the tines of a fork, then frozen until ready to bake. Simply brush with an egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water), then bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and puffy.  Ham is my first choice for an easy holiday meal because it bakes slowly in the oven with minimal fuss, allowing me to spend time with my family. I baste it with an updated version of a syrup my mother has made for years - a sweet and sour brown sugar syrup that really brings out the flavor of the  meat. Decorated with pineapple rings and red cherries, this entree looks are beautiful as it tastes. If you have always wanted to serve homemade yeast rolls with your holiday meals but think they take too much time to make at the last minute, you will be happy to know many yeast doughs maybe made one day ahead and kept refrigerated overnight for the rising process. Two hours before baking, remove the dough from the refrigerator, form the rolls as desired and allow to rise once.  Even today's featured dessert, the Easter Basket Cake, may be made two  days ahead and kept covered, or bake and frost the cake early in the week and freeze; then decorate the day before serving. Watch the children's eyes light up when they see this sweet finale! With its tinted green coconut  "Easter grass", foil eggs and large chocolate bunny, this mouthwatering  "basket" appeals to the child in all of us.  Easter Ham with Oven-Basted Potatoes  1 shank or butt portion smoked ham  2 tablespoons whole cloves  1 cup dark brown molasses sugar, packed (Billington's brand)  2 tablespoons dry mustard  1/ 2 cup cider vinegar  1/ 2 cup water  3-4 pineapple rings  3-4 maraschino cherries  new potatoes  Rinse ham in cold water and dry with paper towels; place in large roasting  pan. Bake at 225 degrees 30 minutes until fat softens. Remove rind with a  sharp knife and discard, leaving fat in place. Score fat with knife to form  a diamond pattern. Insert cloves into center of diamonds. Return ham to  oven.  In a medium saucepan, mix molasses sugar and dry mustard. Stir in vinegar and water. Cook over high heat, stirring often, until mixture comes to a boil, being careful mixture does not boil over. Reduce heat to low.  Continue cooking 5-10 minutes until mixture forms a thin syrup. Drain fat  from ham and pour syrup over ham. Baste occasionally during remainder of cooking time, 2-3 hours.  Rinse new potatoes and peel a thin strip of skin around center of each  potato. Place potatoes in a saucepan and add enough water to cover. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and cook potatoes 5-10 minutes until a sharp knife inserts easily into potatoes. Drain.  During final 30 minutes of cooking ham, decorate with pineapple and cherries, basting fruit with syrup. Add potatoes to roasting pan, turning occasionally to baste with syrup.  To serve, slice ham, arranging ham and potatoes on a large platter. Decorate with pineapple and cherries. Pour remaining syrup into a gravy boat and serve with ham.  Easter Basket Cake  1 cup unsalted butter, soft  1 3/ 4 cups sugar  1 tablespoon lemon zest, finely chopped  4 eggs  1 teaspoon vanilla  3 cups sifted cake flour  2 teaspoons baking powder  1/ 2 teaspoon baking soda  1/ 2 teaspoon salt  1 cup milk  2 tablespoons lemon juice  1 cup sweetened flaked coconut  3 drops green food color  4 pipe cleaners for basket handle  assorted Easter candy  In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and lemon zest on high speed until  fluffy, about 8 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla, beating well after each egg.  In a glass measure, stir lemon juice into milk and set aside 5 minutes to  sour.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt, stirring to  mix. Add dry ingredients alternately with sour milk to creamed mixture,  beating on high speed until batter is thick and creamy. Pour batter into 3  greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes  until a tester comes out clean when inserted into center of cakes. Remove  cakes from oven, cool 20 minutes, then remove from pans and place on racks to cool completely.  Frost cakes with buttercream frosting. To form basketweave design, place  additional buttercream in a decorator bag fitted with a #47 Ateco tip. Pipe  frosting in downward stokes, alternated with crosswise strokes to form sides of basket. Decorate top of cake with tinted coconut. To tint, pour coconut into a plastic zipper bag. Add food coloring, close bag securely and shake until color is thoroughly mixed. Sprinkle coconut around outer edge of top of cake.  Center chocolate bunny in top of cake and surround with groupings of jelly  beans and foil chocolate eggs. Weave pipe cleaners together to form a  handle; insert in cake.  Read more of Christy Rost's articles in her archives. Click here. Do you have any questions, comments or suggestions? Email: jwdineline@aol.com