Tomato

Hominy, or hulled corn kernels, is the backbone of this Mexican posole soup (pronounced pho-soh-lay), which can easily be made vegetarian by using vegetable stock and omitting the pork. Either way, it's best garnished with lots of cilantro, cheese, and lime and served with warm flour tortillas.

You'll want crusty bread for sopping up this San Francisco fish stew.

If you can’t find mozzarella di bufala (buffalo mozzarella) for this late-summer dish, substitute fresh cow’s-milk mozzarella. Silverton sometimes serves the dish with slow-roasted tomatoes for a tangy-sweet flourish.

This recipe works just as well with peeled and seeded sliced cucumbers.

A creamy eggplant spread tops this lavash recipe—and oh, did we mention the Parmesan cheese?

This baked flounder is so easy, so flavorful, and so ready to land on your dinner table. Pro tip: The recipe works best in summer when tomatoes are ripe and abundant.

Chef Nancy Silverton turns the classic salad into an art form by using great ingredients. Choose sweet heirloom tomatoes, drizzle with good-quality extra-virgin olive oil, and serve with creamy buffalo mozzarella to make this simple dish sing.

With its biscuity buttermilk crust, this rustic pie is our new summertime staple. Let the pie cool for at least one hour before serving.