Salad

Charred to a crisp: Not a statement usually associated with salads, but delicious nonetheless in this Mexican-inspired romaine number from Rose's Luxury.

If you haven’t cooked with MSG before, give it a try—chef Quealy Watson, Hot Joy, San Antonio, is a big fan.

Chef David Chang’s buttermilk dressing is our kind of ranch. Use the freshest beans possible: You want that tender snap.

Celery is the perfect vehicle for a salty, assertive dressing like this one. Chiles and peanuts make this dish that much more addictive. —Alison Roman, senior associate food editor

IBM's Chef Watson suggested ingredients for potato salad, and our readers created fantastic recipes—here's what it took to make our favorite combination

This recipe was created by reader Kim Smithers in our Chef Watson potato salad challenge.

Advice on pairing salad greens with dressings, from hearty endive and kale to tender summer mâche mixes

The flesh immediately surround-ing the seeds is the most succulent part of any melon; if you haven’t tried eating the crunchy seeds before, hold on to your hat.

Dress just before serving so that the fennel will still be crunchy and the melon retains its juices.

Cooked summer squash can be mushy. Solution: Eat it raw. If you can’t find buckwheat groats, use chopped toasted almonds instead.

“Cool and bright, this herb-laced corn salad is my new summer staple.” –Alfia Muzio, recipe developer

Yes, you can treat parsley as a salad green, as long as your bunch isn’t woody. Sweet molasses and tart sumac make it vibrant. As for the raw onions, massage them with salt and let them sit for half an hour so they’re not so astringent. Also, adds Ottolenghi, “so you don’t burb.”

A power lunch for grown-ups and kids alike.

The aioli will appear quite tight when all the oil is incorporated, but it will loosen to a pourable consistency once the buttermilk and shallot are added.

This tahini-enhanced recipe is what ranch dressing would taste like if it spent a few months traipsing through the Middle East (and poured itself on a bed of haricots verts).

“Don’t try this with iceberg,” advises Roberta’s chef Carlo Mirarchi. Flavorful, robust lettuces work best, allowing you to get grill marks on one side while the rest wilts.

Fresh crunch, cooling vegetables, a hit of extra acidity, and dollop of sour cream: It’s all here in this summer slaw.

Sugared, roasted lemons are edible from rind to flesh and give this salsa-like mix a bracing jolt of sourness.

Not your ordinary side of rice. Two types means more textures to layer with crunchy nuts and tender beans.

Eggplant is like a sponge. Salting it draws out moisture and firms up the flesh, and deep-frying ensures it cooks evenly until creamy throughout. Worth your time.

The peppers will go from softened to mushy if they sit too long; you want to serve them with some bite left.

Delicate squash blossoms are a farmers' market treasure. Look for flowers with perky, intact petals and a generous length of stem still attached.

Grill, meet veg. Veg, meet grill. We think you guys are gonna get along

The sweetness of nectarines makes for some fascinating bites. (This recipe was developed with IBM's Chef Watson.)