Characteristic: gluten free

This is a Spanish-style composed salad. I make it several times a year when peppers are abundant and varied in the early fall. It's a beautiful, even elegant dish and worth all the roasting and peeling time. You can also skip the ham, as I've done here, and it will still be delicious.   I once transported a gorgeous, beautifully composed platter of it in a box on my bike to a friends' house for dinner. I got it there perfectly and then dropped the box as I unloaded it. The platter luckily stayed in tact but the salad was a mess. I was furious but ultimately it tasted just as good as neatly composed.... Read more »

This combination is reminiscent of the White Bean, Albacore and Arugula Salad. I think of this as the late summer version with a bit more sweetness and color, thanks to the peppers. As with most salads, you can scale this up or down, however, you'd like and you can change the ratio of beans to vegetables to suit your taste and what you have on hand. Just taste and adjust the dressing accordingly.  I tend to make a good amount of this salad since it keeps well and makes a good lunch the next day.  ... Read more »

Frittatas come to my rescue often. This combination, made with the sweet peppers, potatoes and basil is fantastic. And if you have lots of people to feed or want to stretch the eggs you have you can always add ½ cup -3/4 cup (or more) milk to the egg mixture.   Leftover frittata makes a wonderful sandwich filling with a  few leaves of arugula or other greens if you have them, or is just a wonderful snack or lunch as is. Variations Substitute other vegetables, such as zucchini, asparagus, peas, broccoli, cauliflower or kohlrabi for the pepper and/or potatoes. Leafy greens are also delicious, such as spinach, kale, chard, mustard or collard greens. Add feta, fresh goat's cheese or grated sharp cheddar or a cheese of your choice, when you add the egg mixture to the vegetables. Tear up a slice or two of crusty bread and add it to the egg mixture.   Serves 3 as an entrée 5-6 as a side.... Read more »

--adapted from Martha Rose Shulman   This version of chilaquiles does not have eggs but don't let that put you off. The savory green salsa creates the foundation for the this delicious, savory dish. You can use any leftover cooked chicken for this dish as well or skip the chicken entirely and use a few more potatoes or add summer squash or sweet peppers or corn instead.... Read more »

This can be adapted in any way you want. If you like spice by all means add more jalapenos or Czech Black peppers. Feel free to add lots of chopped cilantro and/or parsley.  ... Read more »

This is simple and good. You can add chard or collards to this as well and also some cooked beans if you’d like. This version had some sweet red peppers as well as the roasted poblanos.    Serves 4-6... Read more »

This is a childhood favorite dish that I have incorporated into my own repertoire. I still love eating this at my mother’s and since she grows all the Anaheim peppers it’s a regular dish. Make a simple cucumber salad and call it dinner. I don’t know where she originally got the idea but it’s an unusual and wonderful dish. She makes it with a whole bunch of parsley.  ... Read more »

[caption id="attachment_13598" align="aligncenter" width="660"] This version included lots of garlic scapes and fava beans but no peas. It's a good template to use what you have.[/caption] This is a classic Italian preparation for a variety of spring/early summer vegetables and here's a version with peas and pea shoots. You can toss it with pasta or gnocchi, topped with some aged pecorino or Parmesan or enjoy as a side with fish or meat or egg dishes. ... Read more »

--slightly adapted from Kitchen Diaries II by Nigel Slater   Chinese five-spice powder is a spice mix often made with fennel, star anise, cloves, cinnamon and Sichuan pepper.   This stir fry comes together quickly and is fresh, spicy and delicious.   If you don't have Chinese five spice do your best to make your own with spices in your pantry that include some of the above--use black pepper instead of Sichuan, skip the anise or add some coriander. . .   Serves 2... Read more »

Italians make many versions of this simple dish. It is suited to spring time and the tender green (and sometimes leafy) produce that starts showing up in the markets.   The veggies, in typical Italian style, are not left al dente (like pasta is) but are cooked through and sometimes even mashed up a bit to really blend the flavors. You can finish with fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon juice or simply with salt, pepper and a little more olive oil.  Serve alongside fish, or top it with a fried or poached egg or toss it with pasta or just with some crusty bread and cheese for a light dinner.... Read more »

This is one of my favorite ways to eat parsnips. It takes about 10 minutes—start to finish! Scale it up as needed.   Serves 2... Read more »

Lovely tender little parsnips baked with a bit of milk, some potatoes and leeks make for a sweet and fragrant dish. I make this in an 8 x 13” dish and we eat it over several days but by all means halve the recipe if that seems like too much.... Read more »

--adapted from Elizabeth Minchilli in Rome   If you have a neighbor this a bay tree now is the time to make friends. You'll need quite a few bay leaves for this lovely, simple dish. It does take while to roast so by all means double the recipe if you have enough onions. They are good with/on anything and keep well.... Read more »

--adapted from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sam Tamimi   You'll be amazed how much of this you can eat. It's just such a winning combination, even in its simplified form. You can certainly add other vegetables to the mix and you can use any kind of onion--just use lots.   Most any winter squash or pumpkin will work for this recipe. If you’re loathe to peel and trim the squash raw you can bake the whole squash, seeds and all for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees and then remove it, let cool a little and then peel and cut—a bit easier to handle this way.... Read more »

Stewed or caramelized onions flavored with just a bit of vinegar and thyme are one of my favorite things. I forget about them and when I do remember to make them I put them in/on everything. You can stir them into rice or serve them as a condiment/side to chicken, pork or beef. . .   You can use red, yellow or sweet onions here. The sweet onions will give off more moisture and have more of a "stewed" consistency whereas the others are drier and jammier. ... Read more »

My mother makes great big platters of this, completely simple composed salad every summer. If you have sweet peppers by all means slice them very thinly and add them to the mix here. You can scale this however you'd like so adjust however you'd like. You can skip the feta to make it vegan. ... Read more »

[caption id="attachment_19814" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Corn tortillas are more traditional but flour tortillas are great too. I was really short on cream for the above version and they were still delicious. Cook with what you have![/caption]   This is a variation on the Mexican dish Rajas.  It’s delicious, smoky and easily varied. I’ve included a meat (beef) and vegetarian (potato) option below.   Note: If you're in a hurry you can saute the peppers with the onions and potatoes and skip the roasting and peeling. It's not as smoky but still delicious.  ... Read more »

Simple and delicious. You can use any kind of onion you have. You can add oregano or basil and top with a little cheese if you'd like though the simplicity of the dish as is, is just lovely.... Read more »

This is a wonderfully satisfying dish that uses the most basic staples to delicious effect. It’s a great way to use a few onions and they are definitely the star of the show, well-spiced and caramelized.   There are variations of this dish from Egypt to Lebanon and Israel with many different spellings and iterations.... Read more »

  Versions of this dish are made all over the Caribbean though not necessarily with this many vegetables. It’s a satisfying one-dish meal and very easy to prepare and a great way to integrate fresh produce into the main dish itself. It’s a pantry dish in that basically all you need is rice, beans, onion, garlic and coconut milk. And if you have tomatoes and celery or greens of some kind, great!  ... Read more »