Vegetables

Impatience was the main reason I failed at searing tofu. For years, I had given in to the temptation to poke it, turn it, examine it, annoy it. Then I finally learned that, like any very moist ingredient (fish, mushrooms, tomatoes), the less you bother it, the browner and crisper it will get.

Depending on the size of your grill, you may have to cook the vegetables in multiple batches. When grilling more than one vegetable at a time, be prepared to take each off the grill as it is done cooking. 

This zesty mayo dip would also go well with sliced red bell peppers and celery sticks before dinner; it's amazing how many vegetables kids will eat when they're actually hungry.

Parmigiano-Reggiano adds salty, nutty richness to this ratatouille, which rivals the best oven versions. To speed preparation, feel free to skip the first step of salting and rinsing the eggplant and zucchini (this process draws off any bitter juices). Instead, just remove any particularly seedy and brown parts of the eggplant, or use smaller Japanese eggplants (which also do not need to be peeled). For pizzazz, add chickpeas and pitted, chopped oil-cured black olives.

 I found the recipe upon which this is based in Clifford A. Wright’s first cookbook, “Cucina Paradiso: The Heavenly Food of Sicily.” And it is heavenly. I love the way raisins or currants and saffron introduce a sweet element into the savory and salty mix.

In the authentic version of this frittata there is a lot more olive oil, as well as chopped hard-boiled eggs. This one is lighter and simpler. It is great for lunch or dinner and keeps well in the refrigerator.

The affinity that cauliflower has with black olives is seen throughout the Mediterranean, from Tunisia to Sicily to Apulia to Greece. This simple gratin from Sicily is traditionally made with green cauliflower, but the result is equally delicious and almost as pretty with the easier-to-obtain white variety.

Frozen peas have already been blanched, so the key to a good frozen pea recipe is to avoid overcooking and to create inspired dishes that don’t interfere with their convenience. For our frozen pea recipe, we found that just five minutes of simmering was all that was needed to produce bright, tender green peas. Switching from a saucepan to a skillet allowed the peas to heat more quickly and evenly over the larger surface.  

Apples, chestnuts, sage, and thyme make this a festive side dish that can also double as a substantial option for the vegetarian at your holiday table.

 The earthy, faintly bitter flavor of the blue-green leaves of lacinato kale is offset here by sweet dried cranberries and a splash of cider. You can also use curly kale, if you like.