Simple Cooking

Despite its chic appearance, this dessert is really an uncomplicated icebox pie at heart. And it’s gluten-free, to boot. The pie requires only four ingredients—butter, chocolate, cream, and shredded coconut. The press-in crust comes together in seconds in a food processor. After it’s baked, the shell is filled with velvety ganache, which sets to a lovely, smooth sheen.

Here’s a great weeknight dessert option—no rolling pin required. The cream cheese dough comes together quite easily, and is simply patted into a thin round. A single pear is thinly sliced, then tossed in a bowl with pear brandy, sugar, and lemon juice. The mixture is then fanned out over the dough before baking. Whipped cream makes a nice accompaniment, as does a snifter of pear brandy, naturally.

This is far and away the most popular salad at the Shop, where we serve a handful to accompany every sandwich. We prefer Fuji apples because they are crisp and acidic and balance the peppery arugula and sweet apple cider dressing. In most of the restaurants we’ve worked in, chives are used as a garnish and rarely as an ingredient, but their mild, oniony flavor is absolutely key in this salad. In a pinch, scallions can be used in place of the chives.

This is a great, lighter alternative to a Caesar salad—it hits all the same taste notes without the heavy creamy dressing. Don’t be afraid of the anchovies in the Salsa Verde. The strong flavor melts away and you’re left with a subtle complexity. If you don’t say anything, no one will ever know that they’re in there. Celery is another of those often-underappreciated vegetables that is worth highlighting, and this salad does just that.

In addition to using this as a dressing for salads, try it as a marinade for grilled meat. This vinaigrette will keep in the fridge for up to three weeks.

This Italian sauce is traditionally served over fish, but it works really well as a dressing for salads as well as for grilled and roasted meats. Take care not to overprocess it; you definitely want some texture.

While these tomatoes are especially delicious in this salad, make a double batch so you can toss them with roasted veggies, steamed green beans, or sautéed spinach, or spread them as a condiment on your next sandwich. These can be made ahead and kept tightly covered in the fridge for up to one week.

When it’s summer, especially in August, when the zucchini, corn, and tomatoes are at their peak, we love to fire up the grill for this salad any chance we get. This is a great recipe for entertaining because you can make it ahead, which means you have more time to hang out with your guests.

This salad is all about contrasts. The grapefruit adds a slightly tart punch to the creamy avocado, and the herbs add flavor and texture. This salad comes together in a flash because there’s no separate dressing—just a squeeze of lemon and a splash of olive oil.

Another addictive antipasto dish—the smoky grilled flavor here is a bright note with the marinade. This is best served at room temperature, so plan on making it in advance. Eggplant is extremely absorbent—don’t worry if it soaks up all of the olive oil. The oil provides plenty of flavor and helps prevent the eggplants from burning over the open flame.

To us, corn and ripe tomatoes are the very definition of summer. We never cook corn or serve tomatoes in their off-season, so when summer rolls around, we get really excited and include them in nearly every meal. Don’t be afraid to burn the corn and scallions a little here. The charred flavor mixes well with the lime juice and will help to balance the extreme sweetness of the ripe corn.

Asparagus stands up well to being roasted at high heat or on the grill. Extreme heat helps caramelize the veggie and bring out its sweetness. The asparagus is meant to be served al dente—please don’t overcook it, as a little toothsome bite is welcome here. Make sure you use whole-grain mustard for its great texture.

Marinated button mushrooms are typically included in an antipasto platter, but they make a great solo starter too. Use your favorite combination of wild or domestic mushrooms and, for a heartier dish, try swapping the white wine for red. These mushrooms will last for up to a week in the refrigerator.

While braising may be a favorite cold weather cooking technique, we often braise with spring and summer vegetables. We tend to prefer most braised greens fully cooked, so don’t be afraid to overblanch these greens. The key to this dish is taking the time to cook the chard with the pesto so that the greens absorb all of the flavor. We like to pair this with Bunny Balls (page 50).

This vinaigrette is fabulous spooned over roasted veggies and grilled eggplant.

People can be, well, persnickety, about parsnips. We think they are the unsung heroes of the veggie bin: We know them to be sweet like carrots but also have a wonderful, earthy flavor. The ground coriander used here adds an evocative fragrance, and brown sugar helps to enhance the parsnips’ natural sweetness.

Sherry vinegar is another gift to the pantry from Spain that we keep alongside our saffron and olive oils.