Vegan

Letting the broccolini brown slightly in the pan gives it a boost of flavor. To accomplish this, the broccolini must be absolutely dry when it goes into the pan; otherwise, it’ll steam and won’t take on any color. A large cast-iron skillet is the ideal cooking vessel for this dish.

Farro is an ancient grain that, despite its popularity in central Italy, was once impossible to find in the United States. With rising demand for it, more and more domestic growers are starting to cultivate it, including Eatwell Farm in Northern California and Bluebird Grain Farms in Oregon. This hearty fall salad works well as a vegan entrée or a side dish, or even warmed and served as a Thanksgiving stuffing. I like to add diced or pulled roasted turkey to turn this into an entrée salad. Small cubes of good-quality Pecorino Romano are also a nice addition and give the dish added richness and umami.

This five-minute side dish would complement any fish or meat from the grill, from swordfish to pork chops. Save the recipe for summer, when the cherry tomatoes have thin skins and you can find them in a rainbow of colors—red, gold, yellow, and green—at a farmers’ market.

Brian likes to serve this slaw with Moroccan Lamb Brochettes (page 124), but it would also complement grilled swordfish, fish brochettes, or grilled sausages. Sometimes, at home with his family, he buys spicy merguez (lamb sausages) from a local merchant, grills them, and tucks them into a baguette with aioli and this crunchy slaw. Choose firm green olives, such as picholines. The texture will be better if you buy the olives unpitted and pit them yourself.

Tempered chocolate solidifies easily into a hard, shiny chocolate that snaps when broken. It can be worked into a variety of shapes, spread into sheets, and used in molds. Tempering chocolate also keeps cocoa butter from rising to the surface of the chocolate and “blooming” into unsightly light brown patches. Many chocolate experts will teach you to temper using the marble slab method: You heat your chocolate, then pour it onto a cool marble slab, stirring and working the chocolate with a bench scraper until it has cooled to the proper temperature and then returning it to your bowl. This is a beautiful, classic French method to use, but as large marble slabs aren’t readily available for this purpose, here’s how to use the seed method. Be sure to have an accurate digital thermometer on hand.

Take care not to crowd the vegetables, or they will steam rather than brown. You’ll also need to toss them periodically so they’ll stay coated in oil. Add leftover vegetables to a salad, or use them to top the Roasted Root-Vegetable Pizza (page 45).

Tomatoes, leeks, carrots, and garlic are roasted in one pan to create the base of this simple but satisfying soup. Serve it with toasted sliced rustic bread, or pair it with a sandwich, such as Eggplant and Mozzarella Melts (page 37), for dinner.

Napa, or Chinese, cabbage (not to be confused with bok choy) has a delicate taste and tender, ruffly leaves. Here one head is divided into two salads—one with Asian-style ingredients and the other with apples and caraway.

Salsa simply means “sauce” in Spanish. These three versions are delicious served with tortilla chips, or as condiments along-side grilled fish, chicken, or pork.