Potato

This savory soup is thickened with masa harina, a flour made from dried corn cured in limewater. Dried ancho chiles give the vegetable broth a stunning brick-red color, and epazote (a pungent wild herb native to Mexico) contributes authentic flavor. Cubed potatoes and hefty chunks of fresh corn on the cob make the soup hearty enough to serve as a main course.

As with tomatoes, the profusion of heirloom varieties of potatoes at farmers' markets has helped us rediscover them as a seasonal ingredient in a rainbow of flavors, colors, and textures. This recipe is the perfect vehicle for trying any number of them. Nutty, creamy La Ratte fingerlings are a favorite of French chefs. German Butterballs, as their name suggests, are soft and buttery. For even cooking, choose potatoes that are about the same size.

Shari Ledwidge of Greenehaven, Arizona, writes: "My husband and I spend several weeks each year traveling around the United States. Our journeys always take us to wonderful food stands and farmers' markets, which have inspired some of my favorite recipes."

Bayerischer Würsteltopf Germans like to layer meats and vegetables in a pot and leave them to cook. Not all their hot pots are all-day affairs, however. This one, a hearty main dish, is ready to serve in half an hour. Most of its liquid cooks away, so this is actually a mélange of broth-poached vegetables and sausage.

(Deep-Fried Pastry Stuffed with Spicy Potatoes)

Chef-owner Shawn McClain of Custom House restaurant in Chicago created this recipe for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

Preserved lemon, an essential ingredient in Moroccan cooking, is made by pickling lemons in salt, lemon juice, and olive oil. Here, preserving just the peel (begin at least a day ahead) is an easy way to add an exciting note to the crème fraäche.

At the restaurant, this dish is drizzled with tomato sauce, then garnished with salami and sautéed zucchini.

Hash has never been so decadent. Pieces of duck confit, tender vegetables, and golden-brown potatoes meld with a lavish drizzle of heavy cream and Madeira to create a breakfast centerpiece.

Tortino di patate This dish—which may be the ideal marriage of potatoes and cheese—shows that luxury ingredients like Parmigiano-Reggiano are often at their best when presented in the most straightforward way.

Cookies may seem odd in a vegetable galette, but Italians often use amaretti to enhance squash—and it works with sweet potatoes, too. Whereas the potato and kale galette is savory, this is a little sweet, so it's worth making both.

A crisp potato cake would be tempting enough—even without the surprise of garlicky kale sandwiched between its layers.