Carrot

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.

For the quick pickles, try using other crisp vegetables, such as radishes, celery, or fennel.

Although the recipe calls for chicken, you can serve this nutrient-dense cabbage slaw with any protein you like.

Creamy without being heavy, a dollop of lemony yogurt brings the dish together.

This dish is a perfect side for roast chicken; or crumble feta on top for a vegetarian lunch. Quinoa freezes well, so cook a big batch, let cool, and freeze in resealable plastic bags until ready to use.

This white bean chili recipe will have you begging for seconds of your vegetables.

Don't bother peeling the onions; their skins add a nice, rich brown color to this vegetable stock. If you'd like, remove the skins for use in dishes when a lighter color is preferred, such as in risotto or cream sauces.

Chicken wings are great for stock. They're flavor-making powerhouses of bones, meat, and skin and are easy to find. Some supermarkets sell backbones and carcasses; feel free to use them toward (or instead of) the four-pound total.

Evan and Sarah Rich of San Francisco's Rich Table shock the carrots in ice water after shaving to give them a wavy shape and slightly soften their crunch.

To make this sesame carrots recipe even easier, just shred them in a food processor.

This fragrant coconut milk-based curry from chef Asha Gomez of Atlanta's Cardamom Hill delivers big flavor to this beef stew with very little work. "It's a complete meal, a one-dish wonder," Gomez says.

Marinated, grilled, and paired with tender carrots and a simple feta-mint condiment, these lamb skewers are the answer when you're looking for big flavor. For the most tender results, use meat cut from the top round of the leg of lamb, or trim around the connective tissue of a butterflied leg to get to the leaner meat.