Root Vegetable

The inspiration for these handheld burritos came from those served at the Santa Fe Farmers Market, in New Mexico, where they are truly the early bird's reward—feasting on a portable breakfast while scoring the pick of the produce is a magical start to the day. Though either Mexican or Spanish chorizo would work, we prefer the smoothness of the Mexican sausage and the way its flavor, rich with chiles, soaks into the potatoes. Avocado adds a fresh, bright note.

Sofrito, a sautéed vegetable mixture that typically contains garlic, onion, and bell pepper, is used as a seasoning in much of Latin America and the Caribbean. Here, it flavors yellow rice. The color comes from annatto seeds—which have an astringent, slightly peppery flavor—heated in oil until bright red-orange.

These toasts are topped with a light sprinkling of minced garlic, olive oil, and sharp Pecorino Romano before being baked. Garlicky and salty, they are a great accompaniment to cocktails.

As a child, food editor Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez regularly enjoyed the hearty stew that her grandmother Mary Pacella prepared as a way to use up surplus produce from the garden. Today, however, Miraglia Eriquez makes it as often as she can during the summer and early fall, using garden produce at its peak.

Frying sage leaves is easy and provides a real wow factor. The sage and chestnuts make an ideal foil for these pillowy gnocchi.

This version of the French classic from the lounge at Craftsteak is both exceptional (chef Shane McBride dry-ages his bone-in strip steak 15 to 20 days) and economical (half the meat, same great flavor).

For many families, Thanksgiving dinner wouldn't be right without classic mashed potatoes.

Total cost: $9.86

Boiling the potatoes and chilling them overnight makes them easy to cut and sauté. Leftover potatoes and brisket would make a great breakfast hash.

When I was a kid, my sister and I would make a platter of these after school and eat them while watching The Brady Bunch and Gilligan's Island. To this day, I can tell you the plot of any episode just by watching the first two seconds. I can also still eat a whole platter of these. Granted, they're nothing fancy, but they're always the first things to go. Try them when you're inviting a few friends over for beer on a hot summer's day.

Like kale chips but smaller, separated Brussels sprout leaves get crisp when tossed in oil and roasted in the oven.

Serve with crusty bread and a salad, if you like.

Use a potato masher—or even just a large fork—if you don't have a ricer.

Thinly sliced red onion adds flavor and color to this light tuna salad.

Roasting greens, such as broccoli rabe, turns them deliciously crispy and earthy. The broccoli rabe's inherent bitterness nicely offsets the sweetness of the roasted-garlic pan sauce. The chicken needs to be salted one day ahead.

Root vegetables and mushrooms are enriched by the meat's pan juices.