Garlic

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Ted Allen's The Food You Want to Eat. For Allen's tips on throwing a Thanksgiving party, click here. A simple, terrific fall or winter side dish.

Use roasted garlic to make fresh spinach and roasted-garlic custards . Any leftover roasted garlic will keep in the fridge for up to four days. It's a great addition to mashed potatoes, soups, and salad dressings.

The tangy honey-vinegar sauce that tops this crisp-skinned chicken is also great on pork, duck, or even a meaty fish.

Meyer lemons add a floral note, but if you can't find them, regular lemons work just fine.

Look for chayote at supermarkets, Latin markets, and natural foods stores — it's a light-green pear-shaped squash that's mild and crisp.

Food editor Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez's southern Italian grandmother makes this dish every September. The eggplants get a workout, but the result is worth the effort.

Breaking down the season's freshest tomatoes and piling them on sourdough toast creates a simple and flavorful first course.

The all-purpose side: It goes with the lamb, the chicken, the lobster, and anything else you're grilling this summer.