Leafy Greens

A long cooking time for collard greens is a southern tradition. We sliver ours, then sauté them only for 1 minute, which renders them crisp-tender but allows the greens to keep their color and full flavor.

"I dined on the most sumptuous grilled radicchio salad at The Dish Bistro and Wine Bar the last time I was in Tucson," writes Cindy Shafer of Huntington Beach, California. "Please get the recipe — I must have it." Yellow and green beans, and artichoke hearts are grilled along with the radicchio in this recipe. Serve the salad while the vegetables are still warm.

If you are not able to find Pont l'Evêque cheese, either Taleggio or Brie would also work well in this lovely starter from Charlie Trotter's in Chicago.

This salad is dressed with a red pepper and tomato sauce.

Peppery arugula, sweet, ripe strawberries, and buttery hazelnuts create layers of contrasting flavor in this simple salad.

"I'm a social worker running my own practice," writes Susan Haskell of Boston, Massachusetts. "In addition, I'm getting a doctorate in social work. So most of my time is spent either working with patients or writing my dissertation. Still, no matter what's on my schedule, nothing can stop me from going into the kitchen. During the week, I make the time to pore over food magazines to find recipes I want to try. On Saturdays, I cook for friends — because next to cooking, sharing the results is my favorite thing to do." The spicy mayonnaise adds a nice kick.

Pea shoots are the tender, leafy branch tips of edible pea plants (not to be confused with flowering sweet peas, which are poisonous). There are huge variations in taste among shoots from different varieties, but the sweetest are those from edible podded peas.

Truffle oil lends an earthy flavor; it can be found at specialty foods stores and some supermarkets. If you can't find the oil, these sandwiches will still be delicious without it.

Buttermilk and lemon juice add some tang; carrots and celery add crunch.

The most commonly found Chinese vegetable is also one of the oldest — bok choy has been cultivated in China since the fifth century a.d. You can find many kinds of bok choy at Asian markets, all differing in shape and size; this recipe works well with any mature variety. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Italians like to have salad after the entrée, so do the same, if you like.

To make things even easier, use a cabbage slaw mix. Serve with: Deli rice salad.

Matt McMillan, Big Bowl's executive chef, threw together these items for his lunch one day. We ran it as a special the next week. It's simple and delicious.