Basil

Be sure to strain the tomatoes before topping the pie in this pizza margherita recipe. If you don't, the extra liquid could lead to a soggy crust.

Stuck with too many herbs? Don’t fret! This elemental dehydrating technique we learned from the team at San Francisco’s Bar Tartine will transform them into bold, easy-to-deploy flavor boosters you can use to upgrade any meal. Try using this dried herb powder on rice to give it new life, or whisking it into salad dressings or folding it into yogurt for a bright green tzatziki. You’ll never be tempted to buy packaged powders again.

There are as many stromboli fillings as there are pizza toppings. Feel free to improvise, but don’t use too many wet ingredients in this stromboli recipe, or the dough will be gummy inside.

A version of this recipe helped chef Danny Bowien win the Pesto World Championship in Italy in 2008. He was kind enough to let us adapt it a bit.

The soup equivalent of dipping your bread into tomato sauce, this rustic dish is summer’s comfort food.

Making the eggplant spread ahead of time has a double upside: The flavors of the mixture will deepen as it sits, and you get to cross something off the list.

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

Proof that fried onions are good on anything—even a slaw. (This recipe was developed with IBM's Chef Watson.)

Watch the video and learn how to make this recipe.

Reason alone to save your chard stems, though thinly sliced fennel can also be used. Whole runner beans are completely edible; swap in flat beans or Romano types, or any other snap bean you like.

Compound butter is a great way to get flavor into a roast chicken. Here's a Thai-inspired version

Basil is wilted like a leafy green in this thai beef stir fry recipe, then added raw at the end for a double dose of its aromatic flavor.

The fragrant rose-colored liquid that releases from a ripe tomato after it's been cut transforms a vinaigrette or a cocktail, and can also replace stock in a variety of dishes.

This pesto is an inventive way to use every part of the vegetable. The tender tops are fresh and clean-tasting and mimic the flavor of the carrot itself.

Nuoc cham, the Vietnamese condiment that dresses this crunchy noodle salad, is made with lime juice, fish sauce, chiles, and sugar. The addictive mix of spicy, sweet, sour, and salty flavors is also great as a dipping sauce for grilled meats.

Muddling extracts essentail oils to deliver maximum herb impact. Tarragon flavors the boozy lemonade here, but basil makes an excellent sub.

You can also try this recipe with chives, dill, oregano, or parsley.

Mild, crunchy green papaya is not the same as underripe papaya. Look for it at Asian or Mexican groceries.

This herbaceous aioli is also terrific spooned over simply prepared vegetables, such as boiled new potatoes or roasted ramps.

A drizzle of this herb pesto will complement virtually any savory dish, and it takes only minutes to make.

Bloomfield loves making this salad with black mint, which you'll find in spring and summer at farmers' markets.