Cheese

Creamy, sweet carrot purée takes the place of tomato sauce in this unexpected spring pizza.

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.

Talk about a showstopper! A stack of traditional flapjacks with butter and syrup is fabulous enough as is, but here we're taking that idea into mind-blowing dessert territory. 

Bolognese is a hearty sauce that needs a toothy, wide noodle like fresh pappardelle, or a sturdy dried shape like rigatoni.—Mike Easton

Fregola, a tiny toasted pasta similar to pearled couscous, makes a flavorful base for this brothy spring dinner.

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

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

A classic combination in an adorable little package. The cupcakes, which are reminiscent of banana bread, would be a great breakfast treat (with or without the frosting).

If you're making this entire menu in a single oven, put the souffléed gnocchi in the oven to bake after the fennel and carrots have been roasting for 10 minutes.

After rigorous scientific testing, we've determined that sandwiches sliced in half on a diagonal actually taste better.

Don't laugh—good gluten-free pastas exist.