Vegetable

An appetizing, mildly spiced mélange of nourishing beans, grains, and greens, this makes a stellar centerpiece for a soup-based meal. Quinoa is an excellent source of protein, making this practically a meal in a bowl.

Sweet potatoes and watercress are both splendid sources of vitamin C; they team up in this quick soup to great effect. As I mention in the ingredient list, I like this with a dark, robust variety of miso such as barley or hatcho.

My older son loves a very simple red lentil soup served at a local Middle Eastern café. It’s good, but to my mind, not very interesting, so I created my own version, with a little more style and substance. I make this regularly and he rarely clamors for the café version.

For this bountiful vegetable soup, the less cooking time, the better. Everything should remain bright green and just tender-crisp.

Here’s a soup that comes together in no time, yet tastes as if it has been simmered for hours.

Oh, how I adore this soup, which I discovered at The Bakery in New Paltz, New York. A simple Italian classic, this soup has a number of variations, but I find there’s no need to dress up the basic formula. Escarole is a sturdy green that’s too tough for many salads, but it cooks quickly and, combined with cannellini beans, gives an almost buttery scent and flavor to the soup.

A delectable, high-protein puree made of cashew butter and silken tofu forms the base of this nearly instant soup. This soup is good warm, at room temperature, or even chilled, if you have the time to refrigerate it.

This Asian-style soup is ideal when you’re in a hurry. It can be on the table in about twenty minutes.

Thick, hearty noodles make this fifteen-minute soup substantial, yet it’s not too filling to serve as an introduction to another course.

When I first came up with this soup, I was looking to make something speedy to serve with a main dish salad. And speedy it is, taking only about fifteen minutes from start to finish, yet it tastes like a long-simmering soup. At first, I thought I was imagining things, but I’ve made it many times since, and that’s just how long it takes. The tiny bit of red curry gives it ample heat; if you’d like a spicier soup, use more, and for a less spicy effect, omit the red curry altogether

Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta. Look for the tricolor variety. While the orzo cooks, the vegetables for this soup roast in the oven, resulting in a sweet, smoky flavor when submerged in the broth.

I like to make this quiche in late spring, when asparagus is at its prime. When selecting asparagus, look for straight, firm, bright green stalks with deep green or purple tips. The fresher, the better, so purchase your asparagus as close as possible to the time you plan to make the quiche.

Every year I find myself with more zucchini and tomatoes in my garden than I can possibly use. Fortunately, I discovered the perfect place for them in this quiche. Feel free to add in some of those other extra vegetables you may have on hand as well. Just follow the instructions for the egg mixture filling, then get crazy making vegetable selections of your own.

This classic combination is great for any time of the day: breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner or even a late-night snack. If you are partial to other vegetables, such as asparagus or zucchini, feel free to tailor this recipe to your own tastes, either substituting for the broccoli or adding more veggies.

Think of this pie as Pumpkin Pie’s cousin. The creamy potato puree (best when made from locally grown sweet potatoes) makes for a dense, sweet pie. Like pumpkin pie, this southern staple has a deep, rich orange color that, topped with a dollop of Whipped Cream (page 193) or cinnamon ice cream, makes for a beautiful centerpiece to your holiday dessert table.

This pie will always have a special meaning to me because it was the centerpiece of the bake-off of my dreams! I remember watching Food Network programs as a teenager, thinking, “I would love to be on these shows!” Well, thanks to Bobby Flay, I got the chance to prove that my pies could compete with the best. In November 2009 he challenged me to a pumpkin pie throwdown on Throwdown! with Bobby Flay. Although Bobby ultimately won the throwdown, he told me my version was “one of the best pumpkin pies I have ever eaten.” I like to serve this pie with a dollop of Maple Whipped Cream (page 194).

This pie packs in all of the traditional pumpkin holiday flavor, but with a much lighter and airier texture than traditional pumpkin pie, making this a great alternative at the end of a heavy, multicourse meal. Serve with a dollop of Whipped Cream (page 193).

One of the things Michele’s Pies is best known for is our Pumpkin Pie. The secret to our success is simple: Use fresh pumpkins, never canned. I recommend using the sugar pumpkin variety for this recipe because not only do these pumpkins have the most flavor, but their dark orange flesh will make your pie a beautiful, deep, rich orange color. Processing pumpkins does take some extra effort, but it’s worth it when you see everyone’s faces light up as they taste their first bites of this special pie after Thanksgiving dinner. To be honest, when I first opened up the shop, I had to convince my own staff to take the additional step of pumpkin processing in the midst of the Thanksgiving rush. After hearing a few of them make the argument for using a premade canned pumpkin filling, I decided to prove my point. I sat the entire staff down for a blind taste test, during which I served them pumpkin pies made from a variety of canned pumpkin fillings and a pie made from my own freshly processed pumpkins. Unanimously, they chose the freshly processed pumpkin pie as the best of the bunch. Since then, I’ve never heard a single complaint about the extra effort. (For processing instructions, see page 65).

If fresh corn is not in season, you can use frozen corn instead; be sure to thaw and drain the kernels well before using.

To use fresh pumpkin, halve and place a 1 3/4-pound sugar pumpkin, cut sides down, in a baking pan. Roast in a 400°F oven until very soft, fifty to sixty minutes. Scoop out flesh and purée in a food processor until very smooth.