Vegetable

This frosty drink is as refreshing as frozen lemonade but has the added lushness of summer melon. Fresh thyme gives the fruit’s sweetness some grown-up dimension.

Mixing sorrel with spinach makes an outstanding spanakopita, but the combination is nothing new. The Greeks have been doing it for a long time and it makes a lot of sense. The distinctive tang of sorrel not only replaces the lemon juice often found in spinach fillings for spanakopita, but it also balances the brininess of the feta.

Purslane has long been considered a weed, but it is increasingly showing up for sale in bunches at farmers markets. Meanwhile, Mexicans have known about its healthful properties for hundreds of years and they eat it both raw and cooked. In Mexico it's called verdolagas. Cooking mellows its tang and shrinks it, which means you can eat more of it! Paired with avocado and a tomato relish, this is a super-healthy vegetarian snack or main dish.

Hit the reset button on your potato salad: These spuds are roasted, not boiled, and tossed with a mustardy vinaigrette and jalapeños while warm.

We think fat spears of asparagus have the best texture. White ones take a little longer to cook, so boil them separately.

There's no substitute for minty sweet perilla (a.k.a. sesame leaf); seek it out at Asian markets.

Briefly cooking the tomatoes is key–the finished sauce should still be very fresh-tasting.

Can't find favas? Double up on peas. No pea shoots? Use mĊche or baby spinach instead.

Mild rice vinegar and a fair amount of sugar yield a less acidic brine and a bright-tasting pickle.

Swap the black pepper for other spices, such as cumin, or fresh chopped herbs.

A proper tabbouleh will be mainly vegetables and herbs, with just a smattering of bulgur threaded through.

Miso and hot pepper paste are at the root of every ssam sauce, but no two household's are the same. Tweak it to your liking.

This lightly pickled mix of vegetables and seaweed is especially good with seafood.

All the flavors of a Mexican grilled corn on the cob, now in a convenient, tossed-together form.