Carrot

This roast, with its light, flavorful vegetable gravy, is perfect for spring.

Radishes are in their prime right now. If you can find the small French Breakfast or Easter Egg varieties, just trim them and keep them whole, rather than slicing them. Spring onions, immature onions harvested before their bulbs grow large, are available in farmers' markets at this time of year. If you can't find them, scallions make a fine substitute.

In this dish, the mint pesto says spring every bit as much as the carrots do.

Editor's note: The recipe below is from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman.

In this luxurious dish, the marrow from slow-simmered beef shanks combines with pan juices and aromatic vegetables, creating a silky gravy perfect for serving with potatoes. Tender roasted garlic adds a deep, caramelized background note.

The cabbage and carrots in this dish supply 126 percent of your daily vitamin A, key to maintaining healthy eyes.

This North African-inspired stew is good over couscous with a little lemon juice and chopped mint. Because it's made with beef tenderloin, it's ready in minutes instead of hours.

Since the beans need to soak overnight, be sure to begin one day ahead. Spicy Italian sausage is a good substitute for the chorizo.

A gorgeous, satisfying vegetarian main course that's easy to make. Quinoa requires no pre-soaking, so it's as simple to do as rice.

This side dish plays the dual role of salad (with crunchy fennel and carrot and fresh parsley) and bed for the Cornish hens (recipe precedes) — the seasoning of these chewy grains echoes that of the olive butter tucked under the birds' skin.

Smoked turkey drumsticks can be found in the meat section of most supermarkets. If unavailable, substitute smoked ham hocks. WHAT TO DRINK: A pale ale with a spicy finish, like Sierra Nevada.

Thai red curry paste adds a spicy punch.

The duck marinates overnight in a spice rub, so start this recipe one day ahead.

Brasato (which means "braised" in Italian) is the ultimate pot roast.

Chickpeas add meaty body to a home-style vegetable soup; round out the flavors with a sprinkling of grated cheese.