Onion

Be sure to buy a colorful assortment of baby vegetables. Serve as a side for roasted meat or fish, as an antipasto with salumi and breadsticks, or as an appetizer with crusty bread and goat cheese.

As you may know, orecchiette is Italian for "little ears." Their size and rounded shape are just right for holding chunky toppings—pancetta, pine nuts, and broccoli fit that bill nicely. Grating Parmigiano-Reggiano over the entire dish is always a good idea.

Don't be intimidated. This is actually just a Southeast Asian twist on beef-noodle soup: steak, fragrant broth, and eminently slurpable noodles.

This country-style quiche has a crunchy crust, thanks to the whole grain cornmeal.

Any variety of kale will work in this recipe. If available, try ruffled Red Russian kale, Tuscan kale, or Salad Savoy.

Look for squash that are heavy for their size.

Serve with warm flatbread or pita bread.

Coating the rice with butter and oil keeps the grains from sticking together while they cook.

"Smothering" means braising a tough cut of meat to tenderize it. Slow simmering also concentrates the flavor of the gravy.

The brown sugar in the ingredients list below is there to mellow the acidity of the tomatoes, not to make this a sweet dish. Use a sturdy bakery loaf of white sandwich bread, not the packaged sliced stuff, for the topping. You will get enormous pleasure from serving people this dish.

In keeping with the rest of the menu, this is no shy salad. The sweet and acidic vinaigrette unites with the salty bacon and, along with the lettuces, produces fireworks in the mouth.

This shrimp's gentle preparation yields an utterly soothing broth that tastes just right first thing in the morning. Grab some grits or a warm biscuit to help sop up the juices.

This rustic, satisfying spiced soup—a perfect dish to make ahead and reheat on busy weeknights—will help stave off even the fiercest midwinter chill.

These spicy snacks taste even better than nachos, plus the avocado and tuna add a hefty 10 grams of heart-healthy fat.

Brown sugar and molasses are balanced by fresh ginger and jalapeños.

You can also roast asparagus alongside. Toss the trimmed spears with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and place on a separate rimmed baking sheet.

Radicchio's bitterness is a nice match for the slightly sweet sausages. Serve this hearty dish with crusty bread or with pasta tossed with olive oil, garlic, and chopped Italian parsley.