Side

Granted, this is a bit of work for a salad, but that’s how to transform vegetables into brag-worthy ingredients. To simplify, you could char the beets and greens in a dry cast-iron skillet. This recipe is from Oberlin, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

Like cheesy grits. Really, really, really, really cheesy grits. This recipe, which puts a southern twist (that’s the grits, y’all) on very French aligot (mashed potatoes blended with melted cheese), is from Buxton Hall, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

Cook the collards until they completely surrender themselves to the rich, spicy, lip-smacking braising liquid. This recipe is from Buxton Hall, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

This is made with house-pickled herring at Oberlin, but smoked trout is equally delicious as an ­anchovy alt. If you can’t get kohlrabi, try this same scenario on romaine. This recipe is from Oberlin, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

The pieces of butter in the batter melt as the hushpuppies fry, making them extra moist and luscious. This recipe is from Buxton Hall, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

This ingenious way to prepare sweet potatoes will make you take back every bad word you ever said about them. This recipe is from Lord Stanley, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

Great chefs take great pride in turning humble vegetables into world-class dishes. Which is something you ought to remind yourself of while simmering sesame seeds for 2 hours to make a sauce for this cauliflower. This recipe is from Staplehouse, America's Best New Restaurant 2016.

Persimmons stand in for ripe tomato in this caprese-ish salad, and if you haven’t had them before, they’re worth trying. Before you buy, things to know: The squat fuyu persimmon lacks the tannins that define their pointy-bottomed counterpart, the hachiya variety. While fuyus can be eaten when slightly underripe (they’ll be crunchy), the hachiya needs to be dead ripe or else it will be insufferably bitter. This recipe is from Wildair, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

An addictive slaw with sweetness from the fresh coconut and sneaky, creeping heat from the chiles. Be warned! This recipe is from Bad Saint, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

At Staplehouse, they use Anson Mills’ farro piccolo for this dish, and you can order that online. Unpearled farro, though, will be very similar, and if you see grains labeled einkorn, use that.

Thinly sliced raw cauliflower takes center stage in this salad, tossed in a bright, limey dressing and dusted with nutritional yeast.

The pepper skins add smokiness to the salad, so don’t peel them. Bonus: That makes life a lot easier.

An unexpected side dish that can be made hours ahead of a party; wait until the last minute to toss together.

Remember those pink salt blocks everyone was searing steaks on for a minute? A bit of kosher salt performs a similar function: transmitting heat.

Freshness counts. Buy prime tomatoes when they’re in season. And, if possible, grind whole green cardamom pods rather than using powdered.

This colorful salad packs a bit of heat by adding the jalapeño; it balances out the cooler flavors, but feel free to omit it.

To prep this salad ahead, hold beets and scallions in a bowl of cold water with a splash of vinegar, which both seasons them and maintains crunch.

Watermelon and prosciutto may seem like an unlikely pair, but the salty-sweet mix will make this your new go-to fruit salad.

The key to this showstopping salad? Ice cold water. Seriously! It helps cucumber, radishes, and scallions deliver incredible crunch and highlight their flavors.

Once you get hooked on fresh chiles, you'll want to pack them into everything you cook—including your antipasto.

There’s no law that says watermelon salads must incorporate feta. This renegade combination is at once sweet, tart, and savory—the kind of dish that’s as comfortable at the breakfast table as it is at a potluck.

This bean salad is taken to new, luxurious levels with the addition of eggs, anchovies, and your favorite summer squash.

Use this creamy slaw as one of the toppings for the Ranch Dog, or as a condiment or side next to pretty much anything else!

You can find long beans, the Rapunzel of green beans, at Asian markets.