Garlic

I am lucky enough to find freshly shelled fava beans and peas at my local supermarket. If you grow your own, or have a source of really young vegetables, use them, but it is better to use frozen petits pois and fava beans rather than old fresh ones.

Carrot salads are very common in Morocco. This one is sold by street vendors and is particularly delicious. Use older carrots, which have a better taste than young ones.

These minty carrots are tasty and aromatic. Serve them hot or warm as an appetizer or to accompany grilled or roast meat or chicken.

I love this popular Moroccan salad. It is best made several hours in advance so that the flavors have time to penetrate.

I like the contrasts of color and texture in this little dish that can be served hot or cold.

Like the previous recipe, this classic dip is delicious scooped up on wedges of pita bread.

I consider spaghetti squash a “fun” vegetable and enjoy serving it to anyone who has never tried it. Everyone seems delighted by this unique squash and its spaghetti-like flesh. This is delicious accompanied by Long-Grain and Wild Rice Salad (page 50).

This eggplant-lover’s delight is delicious with fresh or canned tomatoes. For a tasty summer meal, serve with a bountiful tossed salad and corn on the cob.

This pairs well with light pasta dishes, as in the suggested menu.

There’s something enticing about simmering beans for hours until they begin to “melt” into soupiness. This is a superb activity (or nonactivity, more accurately) for a snow-bound day.

Black beans are delicious with lots of garlic. This is one of my favorite ways to serve them.

Sweet potato sauce for pasta? It’s offbeat, I’ll admit, but a surprisingly good match. This is wonderful with a quick sauté of bell peppers and squashes; or serve it as suggested in the accompanying menu.

Combine one filled pasta with one mild vegetable, and if you are lucky as I am, your kids might actually like this as much as you do! Serve this with fresh bread or focaccia and a platter of raw vegetables. Or, to make this a more sophisticated meal, serve with any of the mixed greens salads on pages 50 to 53, and some good wine.

Here’s a simple way to say “happy spring.” Do try this with goat cheese—the contrast of its slight bite and the mild flavor of asparagus is tantalizing.

Fish is my fave thing to serve with this.

These sweet roasted tomatoes are great on sandwiches or chopped up in pasta.

Chicken wings don’t have to be just chicken wings. This teriyaki glaze is incredibly easy to make and turns a boring concept into something sophisticated.

These spring rolls are so fresh tasting that they’re addictive. The beet turns the noodles a pretty pink—way cool. Wear gloves when you cut up the beet so your hands don’t turn purple—not a festive look.

The key to success with this sandwich is knowing which way to slice the flank steak: against the grain of the muscle fibers. Hey, Philly never had it so good.