Garlic

It’s hard to know if a parsnip will have a woody core, but generally speaking, small ones are tender throughout. Worst case scenario? Trim the tough centers before cooking.

Any cooking oil or rendered fat will work for making these supremely crunchy potatoes. Bonus: The fluffy insides are perfect for sopping up gravy.

This recipe makes deeply flavorful broth out of something that most people throw away: the hard rinds of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Roasting turkey in pieces is a great strategy when cooking for a large crowd. You can buy the turkey already cut up, separate two turkeys yourself, or ask your butcher to do the work for you.

Cod and pollock are both great alternatives for the halibut.

If you can’t find corona or gigante beans for this stew, use smaller white ones like cannellini. Keep in mind that they’ll cook a lot faster, so give the ham a 30-minute head start.

This super-easy recipe is a perfect canvas for punchy, crunchy toppers like toasted coconut and mustard seeds with turmeric oil and a zingy chutney. The dal is vegan but full of hearty protein thanks to the chickpeas, lentils, and coconut milk.

If you have the time, season the chicken with salt the night before and chill uncovered so the skin will dry out a bit. Doing this helps the chicken take on a nice golden finish.

The recipe calls for parsley and basil, but consider this dish a canvas for whatever tender herbs you have kicking around: cilantro, dill, tarragon, sage, chives, fennel fronds. Mix and match at will.

Bronze garlic chips in vegetable oil, then use the fragrant oil to stir-fry cooked rice. Top with fresh herbs, those crispy garlic chips, and—if you’d like—a fried egg.

If the raw honey you find is solid at room temperature, warm it in the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat to bring it back to a liquid state before using.

This spicy-tangy-funky condiment is delicious on grilled fish, grain bowls, braises, and stews—basically anything that needs a touch of acid and heat.

Crispy roasted broccoli works just as well as an appetizer as it does a side dish when scattered over garlicky, ricotta-slathered toasts.

You can spread the cloves on grilled bread, marinate olives and feta with the garlicky oil, mash cloves into store-bought mayo, or stir into mashed potatoes.

Leave scallions in the oven for about an hour to draw out their sweetness for a low-maintenance side dish.

Douse ripe cherry tomatoes in lots of olive oil and slow-roast to golden deliciousness. Then use it as pasta sauce, a topping for bruschetta, a grain bowl addition, a side to scrambled eggs...we could go on and on.

Cooking summer squash low and slow yields sweet, nutty, tender—but not mushy—results. Fold them into pasta, top toast, or serve beside any grilled main.

Toss green beans with tons of olive oil and aromatics and surrender the whole thing to your oven for an hour or two until it becomes impossibly soft and caramelized.

Bell peppers get sweet and silky when they slow-roast. Then use them to top ricotta toast, or serve as a hands-off side, or chop them up and mix into your lunch bowl.