Bell Pepper

Sofrito, a sautéed vegetable mixture that typically contains garlic, onion, and bell pepper, is used as a seasoning in much of Latin America and the Caribbean. Here, it flavors yellow rice. The color comes from annatto seeds—which have an astringent, slightly peppery flavor—heated in oil until bright red-orange.

As a child, food editor Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez regularly enjoyed the hearty stew that her grandmother Mary Pacella prepared as a way to use up surplus produce from the garden. Today, however, Miraglia Eriquez makes it as often as she can during the summer and early fall, using garden produce at its peak.

This zesty salad is big on beans and packs plenty of protein and vitamins!

What you have here—sun-gold bands of decoratively arranged vegetables and clear, immediate flavors enriched with Parmigiano-Reggiano—is an absolute stunner. And, because the torte must be made ahead and weighted (to release excess liquid), it's ideal for entertaining. Serve it with anything grilled (fish, chicken, or lamb, for instance) and your guests will be over the moon.

Food critics often say that the measure of a great restaurant is its roast chicken. This technique is much more forgiving than regular oven-roasting chicken, although it doesn't have a crunchy crust. I believe that achieving moist white meat is even more important than the crust.

This fresh salsa was dreamed up when we were testing our Salt-Crust Chicken . It's also wonderful with fresh cod, corvina, branzino, and striped bass. It was invented by Lucía Soria, who, while still in her twenties, went from being a cook in my restaurant in Buenos Aires to the manager of Hotel Restaurant Garzon in Uruguay and my second-in-command at important events such as the inaugural dinner for Argentina's president.

This incredible sandwich is so filling that you won't need a side dish.

Here's an excellent reason to make a beeline for the ground-chicken section of the meat department: moist, flavorful meatballs speckled with pancetta and glazed with tomato paste. These are wonderful made with white or dark meat.

Smoky grilled vegetables—not a cloying amount of meat or cheese—rule here. Instead of embellishing the enchiladas with a complex (and time-consuming) Mexican pipián (pumpkin-seed sauce), cook a few customary pipián ingredients and then purée them with cilantro for an easy enchilada that's herbaceous and fresh.

A take on muhammara, a Turkish and Syrian red pepper spread thickened with bread crumbs and walnuts, this sunset-hued condiment comes together in minutes and does double duty as an accompaniment to both the kebabs and the grilled pita.

Make a batch of this versatile sauce, then serve it all week. You can spoon it over grilled fish, chicken, or pork—or use it to fill quesadillas.

If you live near a Chinese market, pick up barbecued or smoked duck there. Otherwise, smoked chicken or turkey from the supermarket (or leftover roast chicken) would be terrific tossed with the noodles. To make it a meal, add a platter of chilled silken tofu. Drizzle the tofu with soy sauce and chili sauce, then top with chopped green onions. Coconut ice cream with fresh berries and lychees would make a nice dessert.

This vegetarian sandwich has very little oil—but it's still plenty indulgent, thanks to two cheeses and the sweet grilled peppers. Make it in a panini press or pan, or on the barbecue.

A chunky pistou with full pistachio flavor adds depth to this fresh salmon dish. Want even more vegetables? Slice lemon cucumbers (a wonderful farmers' market variety that looks somewhat like a yellow tomato) and add a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of dill to make the perfect starter.