Starter

Quick pickled figs add a sweet-tartness to this bruschetta.

You can sub in fresh favas or edamame for the peas.

Sautéing and simmering shrimp shells to make a quick stock gives this soup a deeper, richer flavor.

Sesame oil and rice vinegar spin the caprese eastward.

Little Gem, a lettuce that both looks and tastes like a cross between baby romaine and a small head of butter lettuce, can be found at farmers' markets. If unavailable, substitute hearts of romaine.

This is a classic Scandinavian-style smørrebrød.

Briny-sweet crab and piquant chiles shine on subtly flavored white bread.

"We make this salad when it's hot on the farm and we're in the mood for something refreshing." —Jenna Clemens, Full Belly Farm, Guinda, CA

This classic refreshing salad pairs perfectly with grilled lamb .

Skewering and grilling whole garlic cloves gives this vibrant sauce its smoky sweetness. Make the salsa as chunky or as smooth as you like.

"Add a little Parmesan to peppers and they go so quickly you can't keep them on the table." —Richard Andres, Tantré Farms, Chelsea, MI

The trick to a successful stir-fry? Have all your ingredients prepped so that you can cook quickly over high heat. In professional kitchens it's called mise en place, or "put in place."

Halved grapefruits taste delicious with a kiss of smoke from the grill. But they're even better sliced to expose more of the fruit to the caramelizing fire. Pomegranate molasses, with its sweet-tart flavor and syrupy texture, makes a tasty, ruby-hued glaze. Try this recipe with oro blanco (a white-fleshed pomelo), too. If you have fresh pomegranates, scatter the seeds over the top.

One of my favorite at-home foods is this appetizer/snack, which I love to munch on while I’m cooking out in my backyard. These are great with cocktails and addictive as hell. They’re easy to throw together and put in the smoker alongside whatever else you may already be cooking in there.

If these whimsical hors d'oeuvres taste somewhat familiar to you it's because they happen to be a fancified take on bourek, Turkish feta-stuffed phyllo rolls. Here, those familiar flavors not only echo ingredients of Turkish cuisine, but are also reminiscent of walnut-date bread with cream cheese: a delicious American classic. For more seasonal recipes, download the free Gourmet Live app and stay tuned to the Gourmet Live blog for the latest updates.

Dried porcini give this vinaigrette a huge boost of flavor and marry beautifully with the asparagus and goat cheese for a spring-like first course. Serve this dish with sharp knives (like steak knives) so the toast and asparagus cut easily. For more seasonal recipes, download the free Gourmet Live app and stay tuned to the Gourmet Live blog for the latest updates.

Canned chipotles, along with tomatillos and onions charred under the broiler, give this salsa its smoky undertones.

What the lime is to Mexico, the yuzu is to Japan: a versatile citrus whose bumpy rind and juice are used in all kinds of dishes. Yuzu's flavor? Imagine a cross between a mandarin orange and a lime. The juice makes a floral vinaigrette; it's also used in ponzu, an addictive Japanese dipping sauce. Bottled yuzu juice can be found at specialty foods stores and Asian markets. If unavailable, substitute 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice and 1/2 tablespoon fresh orange juice.

Fresh and piquant, this crowd-pleaser is a classic.

Shaving asparagus with a vegetable peeler transforms the texture of a raw stalk into silky strips. This revelatory technique works well with all kinds of vegetables, from carrots to zucchini.