Vegetarian

Strawberries and cream...and cardamom. The cooling spice and cucumbers give berries an element of intrigue.

When you put an egg on eggplant, you get a veg main course.

Over the last few years I have started to love zucchini, but I have to admit that by the end of the season, it's like, "Not another bloody zucchini!" That said, this is one of the joys of eating seasonally—anticipation and excitement at the start of the season, despair and overload at the end.

You can assemble this elote-inspired party starter ahead of time, and then bake right before you're ready to serve it.

Roasted poblano chiles and cream are a classic—and irresistible—combination. It's worth roasting more than you need—the peeled and seeded chiles freeze well and thaw quickly. Sliced and seared zucchini or chayote squash is a terrific addition to the rajas mixture.

We use this rub on just about everything that we smoke at the restaurant, but you needn't follow the recipe exactly. Feel free to improvise on the ingredients and amounts, reducing the sugar for a less-sweet "bark" (crust), increasing the cayenne for a spicier one, and so on.

The classic combination of peaches and cream takes a trip south of the border in these cinnamon-spiked ice pops.

Serve this cooling mint-infused watermelon juice as cooling refreshment in the summer sun.

With super fresh tomatoes you don't need much more! This toast combines sharp ricotta salata cheese with plump green tomatoes and lemon juice for a refreshing bite. We like green zebra tomatoes for their pretty yellow stripes and bright, floral flavor, but any ripe green tomato will work in this dish.

This black bean spread gets a hint of unexpected sweetness from the ground fennel seeds. Traditional Mexican dishes often use dried avocado leaf, which has a similar flavor. Try the spread as a base for tostadas or nachos, or serve with chips for dipping.

This juicy, crunchy salad-on-toast gets even more texture (and flavor) thanks to quickly fried capers and basil.