Oven Bake

Majorcans love to talk about the quality of their vegetables, and this dish of sautéd eggplant, potatoes and bell peppers in fresh tomato sauce, called tumbet, is one of their favorite creations. We suggest serving it with grilled fish or lamb chops, as Majorcans do.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Known as coca, this is the traditional street food of Palma. The name derives from the Latin verb coquere, which means "to cook". Shaped in a long oval or rectangle, baked in a wood-fired oven and sold in room-temperature squares, coca is usually eaten as a snack, but it can also be a great starter for a casual meal. Unlike its Italian counterpart, it is covered only with vegetables, never with cheese. There are sweet cocas and special holiday versions, too. When made with frozen bread dough, coca is a snap to prepare.

This quiche also makes a simple and delicious dinner served with a mixed green salad and some crusty bread.

Traditionally, chiles rellenos are batter-coated and fried. This version is baked with a lighter cheese filling.

"Common crackers," good-keeping hard wheat flour crackers akin to ship's biscuits or hardtack, were found in early New England households and often made their way into poultry dressings. In this recipe, we add leeks and large quantities of the kinds of herbs cultivated in Colonial kitchen gardens.

This dish is an excellent accompaniment to almost any Mexican meal. The beans should be whole, perfectly tender, and swimming in a generous amount of broth.

Marietta's tomato sauce — made this simple way — is the best I've ever tasted. Roasting the tomatoes has a magical effect and intensifies the flavors. Though especially delicious in summer, this recipe is also just the thing when you can't find perfect fresh tomatoes. The sauce brings out the best even in a winter tomato.

Transforming cabbage into sauerkraut was one way the Germans preserved summer's crop for the hard winter ahead. A combination of rinsing the kraut of its salty brine and baking it with dried fruit mellows its bite. Smoked pork chops can be substituted; just omit the browning step. Offer some dark and light German beers to drink.

If you can't find Yukon Gold potatoes, use russets instead.