Feta

Gigante beans are our favorites, but almost any bean will be delicious this way. 

Let your cheese ball hang out in the fridge until firm. It will be easier to roll in the nuts.

Set this up in advance and serve it at room temperature. The cheese will be soft enough to scoop with a cracker—and will taste better, too.

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

A super-juicy watermelon is key; it should feel heavy for its size and sound hollow when tapped.

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

Barley has nice heft and chew, but don’t feel limited—use cooked farro, quinoa, or brown rice if you prefer.

When it comes to buying feta, you’ve got choices. We love the firm texture and sheep’s-milk tang of Bulgarian or Greek.

The jalapeño's ribs and seeds are the spiciest parts; be careful not to rub your eyes after handling (or wear gloves)!

Precooking the cauliflower in seasoned poaching liquid infuses it with flavor; roasting makes it crisp.

This recipe gives you yet another excuse to keep a package of puff pastry in the freezer.

This frittata is lightened by using only half the egg yolks of traditional recipes.

Meatless doesn't mean dainty. When making a veggie-centric sandwich like this roasted eggplant recipe, load up on aggressive flavors and contrasting textures, and be sure to add something substantial to sink your teeth into.

Saganaki, a traditional Greek preparation named after the pan in which it’s prepared, is best served straight from the skillet, with plenty of toasted bread for scooping up the savory tomato sauce. If you can find them, wild American shrimp and high-quality Greek feta really make this dish special.

Pack this main dish into single-serving containers the day before travel. The flavor will improve overnight (and sturdy kale won't wilt). We like to keep meals cool with disposable ice packs, which we throw away just before security; the salad will be good for a couple of hours at room temperature. Don't forget the plastic forks!

Spinach and feta arrive in tiny puff-pastry packages.

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.