Experiment with different varieties of eggplant if you see them at the grocery or farmer’s market—don’t let the unique shapes and colors stop you, as any type is delicious. This rich stew is lovely spooned over soft corn polenta, or even over toasted baguette slices.
Feel free to toss in some chopped fall butternut squash or parsnips instead of carrots for this delicious autumn harvest soup.
Ratatouille is a classic French melding of harvest vegetables, starring creamy eggplant, sweet bell peppers, small zucchini, and sweetly-ripe tomatoes. The recipe varies, from a stovetop stew to a grilled platter of tender and slightly charred veggies. Mediterranean herbs—oregano, thyme, rosemary, and lavender—often scent this blend of sun-kissed vegetables. Add some rich chicken thighs, brushed with an olive vinaigrette, to round out a perfect patio meal.
Traditional harissa is an incendiary red spice paste that’s stirred into couscous dishes. This green version is not quite as hot and adds a lovely herbal note to this flavorful one dish meal. Serve the chicken stew over the couscous in shallow bowls, garnishing with a spoonful of the green sauce and some sweet red grape halves, golden raisins, or toasted slivered almonds.
The pairing of spices, dried fruit, and salty brined olives or capers with meat is distinctly Spanish—and is a favorite way to season ground meat in Cuba. A slow-cooked chicken stew seasoned up the same way is warming and really delicious if made a day ahead so the flavors bloom.
Arrange these satisfying bites in covered bento lunch containers for lunch at the pool or on the beach—or cook the chicken ahead and have all the ingredients ready to make roll-ups one by one as you’d like.
Sweet and spicy, these mini skewers are just the right bite for a holiday gathering.
This chimichurri-style salsa is raw and should be a thick, coarse puree. It can be finely chopped by hand or buzzed up in a mini processor or blender. This is the time to use a nice-quality olive oil.
Mix up the kinds of tomato you use in this juicy salad—and the window for flavorful varieties can be tight, depending on the weather. Using ultra-thin slices of prosciutto ham, crisped up in the oven, instead of bacon, is a fun twist and absolutely addicting. Add more texture by making rustic croutons to sprinkle on top.
Fusilli bucati are long corkscrews of pasta, very fun to wind around your fork, thickly coated with a creamy sauce and studded with chunks of chicken and tender spring asparagus.