Thyme

These delicious vegetables can be served at room temperature or hot from the oven.

The porcini mushroom soaking liquid moistens this stuffing from Rochelle Palermo Torres.

In a restaurant, speed is of the essence. Dishes must be quick to make, easy to prepare ahead, and just a little bit different, like this little sauté of red peppers piled on crusty bread and broiled with a topping of goat cheese.

Brining results in moist, tender meat. Be sure to use a large center-cut loin, which cooks more evenly than two smaller pieces tied together. Begin this recipe one day ahead. What to drink: A medium-bodied fruity red, such as Merlot, or a fruity white, such as Australian Sémillon.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Cremini mushrooms or their mature form, portobellos—or both—can be used in this side dish from Cory Schreiber's new cookbook, Wildwood: Cooking from the Source in the Pacific Northwest (Ten Speed Press).

When buying fresh apricots, look for fruit that is plump, fragrant, and gives a little when squeezed. Poaching time depends on the ripeness of the fruit.

A delicious entrée that's easy enough for a weekday dinner, yet pretty enough for a dinner party. Serve with: Stir-fried summer squash and red peppers, couscous salad, and seeded Italian bread.

This is a delicious, low-maintenance alternative to traditional risotto.

This dish was inspired by pommes Anna, the regal, crisp-crusted potato cake rumored to have been named for Anna Deslions, a famous courtesan in nineteenth-century Paris.

Chef Boulud prefers guinea hens for this recipe, but we found free-range chicken to be a worthy substitute.

(Fiori di Zucca Ripieni) Of all the aspects of Tuscan cuisine, not one stands out as much as its overwhelming variety of fresh vegetables. Zucchini is a favorite, of course, and so are the blossoms. The sweet, succulent flowers are prepared in countless ways, including fried, sautéed and, as in the following recipe, stuffed and baked. If you don't have zucchini in your garden, look for the blossoms in the supermarket or at a farmers' market. They are usually sold still attached to baby zucchini, which is how they are used in this recipe.

Serve this with the Crispy Potato Galette, buttered green beans and a red Côtes du Rhône or white Burgundy.

Here is a colorful dressing that is baked alongside—rather than inside—the turkey.