Vegetarian

Raisins have a long shelf life and are great for a boost of energy. I was walking on a cold boardwalk, quite a ways from home, when a pang of hunger attacked. I was wearing my ski jacket-an ideal jacket for the beach in the winter and also ideal for storage with its plentiful pockets for goggles, headphones, keys, money, credit cards, lip balm, sunblock, and Starburst. There are always a few raisins tucked away somewhere (long pocket life?), too; same in this recipe-hidden and sweetly surprising.

Though good with any fresh vegetable, this sharp, creamy feta dip, smoothed with a little buttermilk, is exceptional with crisp spring radishes. Much as in the combination above, salt and fat mellow any heat from the raw radishes. Cheesemaker Mary Rigdon of Decimal Place Farm has been brining her goat's milk feta to order for us every week since Miller Union opened. If you have a local farmers' market that sells fresh cheeses, look there first for good-quality feta. I love the little pink, purple, or red garden variety radishes for this dip.

Though the healthful and now mainstream Middle Eastern dip we know as hummus typically includes chickpeas and sesame tahini, this adaptation contains neither. Rather, its similarly smooth texture comes from the natural starch and protein of the English pea. In the summer, I make a variation of this using blanched field peas of any variety, and I substitute thyme for the spring herbs and fresh garlic in place of the early green garlic of spring.

On those mornings when you don't want to do anything but get up, pour coffee, and sit with your face in the sun, homemade granola is a good thing to have around. Ours is meant to be not too sweet. We serve it over very tangy plain yogurt from upstate New York's Ronnybrook Farm dairy and add a swirl of local honey for people who want it a little sweeter.

The mere mention of ramen noodles may bring you back to your college days...and just like then, it's time to experiment a little. This spicy ramen dish contains ginger, chiles, and garlic-aromatic spices that have two amazing properties: they help to increase blood flow throughout the body and help to protect your gut against harmful bacteria, as they work as natural antiseptics in your digestive tract.

Serve this take on the traditional Indian fresh cheese with olive oil, salt, and pepper for a simple yet impressive appetizer. The tofu-like texture also works well folded into soups or curries or pan fried and tossed into salads.

You can steam and crush the potatoes in the morning if you'd like. The finished dish is great at room temp.

When dressing hardy raw greens, it's good to be aggressive. Fortunately, we've got spicy ginger and seedy flavor bombs on hand.

Lush confited garlic takes toasty, cheesy baguettes to another level.

One of many cool things about (super-nutritious) sprouted lentils: They don't need to be cooked first.

Crispy-potato crust > pastry crust. (And it's gluten-free too.)

Creamy on the inside and crackly on the outside, this kugel is completely irresistible.