Leafy Greens

In doubling or tripling this recipe, you can put all the ingredients for the dressing into a blender (cutting the amount of garlic in half) for a quick whirl. Store the dressing in a screw-cap jar until the salad is ready to be tossed. The flavor is the same, but the texture of the dressing is creamy and looks less attractive on the romaine.

Preparing for the Super Bowl? Think bread bowl. This spinach dip is housed in a hollowed-out loaf of bread. Choose pumpernickel or sourdough and have other items for dipping on hand—those bread bites go fast!

For a picnic, transport this colorful side dish next to a cold pack in an airtight container.

Serve these pastries as the first course of a special-occasion supper — maybe with a bottle of chilled Champagne.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Begin by offering crisp breadsticks with roasted red peppers, black olives and marinated artichoke hearts on a bed of arugula. Follow the stew with apple pie.

Fermented soybean paste-called miso-is the key ingredient here.

Here, lamb chops are presented atop a salad that was inspired by the flavors of Sardinia. A perfect first course or a light main course.