Side
Polenta Cake with Orange Blossom Yogurt, Berries, and Pistachios
Editor's note: The recipe below is part of a healthy and delicious spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Chris Miller, executive chef at Como Shambhala Estate at Begawan Giri in Bali.
In this streamlined dessert, summer berries are served atop grilled polenta with a simple garnish of strained yogurt and pistachios. The key to success here is using high-quality ingredients: ripe fruit at its seasonal peak, a full-flavored honey (Chef Miller prefers rambutan, a Javanese variety with a fruity, citrusy flavor and amber color), and delicate orange blossom water. If you'd like, try garnishing the dessert with a chiffonade of fresh basil or mint.
By Chris Miller
Green Tomato and Honeydew Melon Salad
A stylish symphony in green, this dish has a heady bouquet to match. The tart tomatoes and sweet melon are the stars, but the supporting players—hot jalapeño, earthy pumpkin seeds, and pungent cilantro—add plenty of intrigue.
By Paul Grimes
Grilled Rainbow Chard with Fava Beans and Oregano
The stems of Swiss chard get short shrift way too often; when they're beautiful rainbow chard, they deserve a dish all their own. Blanched to remove toughness, then grilled—yes, we like our chard charred—their earthiness is a natural complement to meaty fava beans.
Chilled Soba with Tofu and Sugar Snap Peas
A bowl of these refreshing noodles—a riff on a Japanese classic that gets topped with silky tofu—is clean and light, yet still hearty enough to make a satisfying meal.
By Lillian Chou
Roasted Red Peppers and Cauliflower with Caper Vinaigrette
A zesty lemon, olive oil, and caper dressing brings out the best in nutty roasted cauliflower and sweet red peppers.
By Shelley Wiseman
Watermelon, Tomato and Mint Salad
What may seem like an incongruous mixture is actually a harmonious blend of ingredients and textures. There are few dishes that illustrate how the seemingly disparate flavors of sweet, sour, bitter, and salty can be successfully combined. One tip: While the melon should be chilled, the other ingredients are their most flavorful at room temperature, so combine the salad just before serving.
By Rick Rodgers
Melissa Hotek's Granola
Honey and dried fruit sweeten oats and nuts to make this easy stir-and-bake breakfast.
Tomato Risotto
Favorite Mediterranean ingredients come together in this creamy risotto. Adding the liquid from the tomatoes to the chicken stock underscores the flavor of the fresh tomatoes added at the very end. This is delicious made with any ripe red or orange tomatoes.
By Paul Grimes
Tomato Bread Pudding
This homey dish made everyone in the test kitchen swoon. Roma tomatoes become even more intense when roasted, and this comforting, custardy bread pudding proves the perfect match for their bright flavor. Take it to a potluck, serve it with something grilled, or make it a vegetarian main dish with a green salad.
By Paul Grimes
Tabbouleh
By Ian Knauer
Wilted Watercress with Garlic
This really simple, really beautiful stir-fry of earthy, bright green watercress is a "tumble of yum," in the words of food editor Maggie Ruggiero, who tested Reusings recipes.
By Andrea Reusing
Cold Spicy Celery
You need something clean and refreshing in the series of "small plates," like this one and those above, and Reusings celery preparation fits the bill perfectly.
By Andrea Reusing
Steamed Jasmine Rice
Jasmine rice is native to Southeast Asia. When cooked, its long grains become soft, seductively aromatic, and nutty in flavor.
By Andrea Reusing
Wilted Greens with Warm Sherry Vingaigrette
Larry Forgione, a chef dedicated to preserving regional American cuisine and crops, inspired our wilted salad. In his cookbook An American Place, collards are softened in a warm Sherry dressing. We found that the cream Sherry's sweet nuttiness also works especially well with baby fall greens like mizuna or beet tops. But choose the highest-quality leafy vegetables in season.
By Melissa Roberts
Sweet Potato and Kimchi Pancakes
In Korean kitchens, spicy kimchi (fermented cabbage) is used in all sorts of things, including savory pancakes. This recipe tempers its garlicky heat with mellow sweet potatoes.
By Andrea Reusing
Braised Fingerling Potato Coins
Alice Waters, founder and owner of Chez Panisse, in Berkeley, California, champions the environmental benefits of organic produce and highlights vegetables freshness with simple preparations. In this adaptation of her potato coins, we coax the starch out of waxy, thin-skinned fingerlings to create a silky pan sauce. The faint vegetal sweetness of this dish pairs well with just about anything.
By Melissa Roberts
White Beans Puttanesca
Puttanesca is usually a pasta sauce, but here the addition of beans to the spicy blend of tomatoes, basil, and olives turns it into a versatile, satisfying side dish.
By Maggie Ruggiero
German Potato Salad
This hearty potato salad is typically made from sliced potatoes, bacon, onions, and celery. A small amount of bacon fat is used to flavor the vinaigrette that seasons this dish. It is most often served warm or at room temperature for the very best flavor.
Bibb Lettuce, Parsley, and Mint Salad
Generous handfuls of parsley and mint leaves are left whole, to hold their own alongside sweet ruffles of Bibb and thin slices of cucumber.
By Maggie Ruggiero
Fingerling Potatoes with Chives and Tarragon
We can't get enough of this method for braising potatoes. In this variation, their tenderness is emphasized by an unctuous olive-oil glaze punctuated with fresh chives and tarragon.
By Maggie Ruggiero