Side

Cutting the leeks into rounds is an update on the classic presentation—and makes them easier to serve to a crowd.

This sweet-sharp vinaigrette pairs well with the bitter chicories, but feel free to use another sturdy green if you like.

If using different-colored beets for this recipe, remember to toss them separately so they don’t stain one another.

Here's how to get that deep caramelization and custardy interior.

Tonnato is a creamy Italian sauce that combines from-scratch mayo with preserved tuna, lemon juice, and anchovies, and is classically spooned over thinly sliced veal. This one is different. It gets creaminess from cashews instead of eggs, and, along with the dukkah spice mix, will gussy up any tray of roasted vegetables you make.

You can mix and match the types of apples with whatever you have on hand. Doing so brings out a more complex flavor as well as a more colorful salad.

Crisp crumbs work well with the soft flesh of a squash and become even more interesting when they aren't packed on top like a crumble, but lightly scattered over and between the pieces of squash.

Look for dandelion greens that aren't much longer than a pencil, with waif-like stems. If you can't find them, swap in chopped chard, or spinach, or whatever greens happen to look best at your market.

If this brings back memories of the “house salad” from that Italian-American restaurant you grew up eating at, then we consider our jobs done.

Cooking the apples with their skins on adds a beautiful rosy blush to the finished sauce.

Adding olive oil to this hot sauce recipe lends it body and mellows some of the heat.

Look for Castelvetrano olives for this salad recipe; their buttery flesh and mild flavor will convert the most olive-averse.

This tahini dressing recipe goes especially well with bitter greens but can also be paired with sweeter lettuces such as Little Gem or romaine.

The marinated white anchovies make this carrot salad stand out by adding a nice vinegary bite (if you opt for regular anchovies, season with less salt), and those little fishes are good for you, too!

This is how vegetables can crisp and caramelize, and not slowly steam and turn to mush.

To test boiled potatoes for doneness, use a skewer or the tines of a fork rather than the tip of a knife so you know they’re truly tender (a knife slides through the flesh way too easily). To test boiled eggs for doneness—wait, you can’t! Just make sure the eggs are room temperature when you drop them in the water (otherwise they’re prone to cracking), set a timer right away, and have an ice bath at the ready.

Choose the largest head of cauliflower you can find. When you cut into it, keep in mind that the two center pieces will stay together, but the two end pieces may fall apart into florets and that’s okay—you should still grill those too! This recipe also easily doubles if you want four solid cauliflower steaks.

The tonnato sauce here is a mayo miracle you'll want on everything.

You’re going to get what seems like a lot of dressing from this wedge salad recipe, but all those crevices in the iceberg lettuce will use it up.

Plums are summer’s all-stars. You should eat and cook with them only when they are peaking, plentiful, and widely available in many varieties.

If you have a perfectly ripe melon—great! If you don’t, no worries. The salt, acid, and a bit of heat here will give life to lackluster specimens.

This makes an extra quart of cooked beans. Save (or freeze) for another batch of escarole, or serve them simply warmed in their broth. 

Potatoes can take a lot of salt. Even though they’re cooked in seasoned liquid, they might need a little more when you toss the dish together.

The dressing has virtually no oil in it, balancing acidity with the sweetness of apple juice and fattiness of the cheese and nuts. This recipe is from Flora Bar in NYC—a sleeper hit of the menu.