Vegan

Ratatouille is a vegetable stew from the south of France, traditionally made by slow cooking. By roasting the vegetables in a hot convection oven, the juices, flavors, and colors are quickly sealed in and the vegetables are succulent and remain distinguishable.

Wheat berries are whole wheat kernels that become appealingly chewy when cooked, and bulgur, a Middle Eastern staple, is crushed dried wheat kernels (best known as the basis for tabbouleh). Together they make a nutritious and satisfying salad (the grains are hearty and filling) that can stand alone as a meal or work as a side dish with grilled lamb chops or crispy seared fish. I’ve called for celery hearts because I love their sweetness, but regular stalks of celery work just fine.

This relish has a smoky, savory quality, thanks to the chiles and garlic. Unlike most cranberry sauces, this one doesn’t require any added liquid.

White wine vinegar and dried cranberries give this relish its tang.

The bright flavors are a nice counterpoint to rich foods.

Thanks to paprika, this meatless main has a spicy, smoky flavor. Domestic smoked paprika can be found at some supermarkets. For a spicier kick, use hot smoked Spanish paprika (Pimentón Picante or Pimentón de La Vera Picante), which is sold at specialty foods stores and at tienda.com.

The earthy flavor of the beet is balanced by sweet raisins, spicy ginger, and sweet-spicy red onion. After Thanksgiving, serve this chutney with lamb.

This recipe calls for a lot of greens, but they cook way down.

This dish showcases both red- and tan-skinned sweet potatoes.

Broccolini may also be labeled "aspiration" or "baby broccoli." if using Ordinary broccoli, cut off the florets, peel the stalks, and cut into short, thin sticks.

Mediterranean Herbs cilantro and mint add a fresh note to this cranberry sauce. Pomegranate molasses lends a bit of sweetness—and an extra shot of color.

Roast some white asparagus spears, and tell your guests they are the appendages of previous party guests. If this delicate vegetable isn't available in your local grocery store, substitute green or yellow string beans.

Fruit makes a great puree and a thirst-quenching smoothie, and is just plain fun to pick up for toddlers. You can always serve fruit raw, but the flavor intensifies if you bake it. This recipe applies to any firm fruit, such as apples and pears, and stone fruit, such as peaches, pears, plums and apricots. The can be frozen, although nutrients will be lost.

Sold at Mexican street stands in large, clear barrels—the better to show off their festive colors—agua frescas, or "fresh waters," can be made with all kinds of fruits and herbs, the riper the better. Here, Feniger tops a traditional cantaloupe cooler with a decorative swirl of vivid beet purée. Roasting the beet heightens its sweetness and intensifies its color.

What you find here and on page 96—aside from a striking striped presentation—is an equally beautiful expression of flavors. Because both beets and pears are at the height of their season, Lee has no desire, as he says, "to mess with them too much." He adds, "Nature trumps the ability of any chef." The ginger juice in the vinaigrette is inspired by Lee's Asian roots.

A rich meal calls for a crisp salad, in shades of green and white, to cleanse your palate. Radish sprouts add a peppery bite to the crunchy jicama and flat leaves of parsley and celery.

Consider making extra of this spicy syrup—it's delicious stirred into tea, added to smoothies, or drizzled over ice cream.

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.

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.

This spinach salad speaks to all the wonderful autumnal flavors of the Pacific Northwest. The new crop of bronzed Bosc pears is piled high at the farmers' market; the hazelnuts have been harvested, shelled, and bagged for sale; and the cranberries arrive from the Long Beach, Washington, coastal bogs. I buy sweetened dried cranberries from a local producer, but they are readily available at the grocery store (Ocean Spray is a good-quality packager), found alongside raisins and other dried fruits. This salad is a snap to assemble if you buy the packaged prewashed and trimmed baby spinach.