Make Ahead

Once you start eating this rich, salty-sweet pie with its oat cookie crust, you won't be able to stop.

Specialty foods stores, Trader Joe's, and some supermarkets carry dried blueberries.

Like thumbprint cookies, these light and lemony scones get their name from the well of preserves in the center. The secret to tender results is to work the dough as little as possible. After adding the cream, stir just until everything is incorporated. When kneading, use as few turns as possible. When shaping, pat just until you get a one-inch-thick round. Any leftovers taste great reheated the next day, wrapped in foil.

Chef Max Mackissock of The Squeaky Bean in Denver takes a back-to-nature approach to ingredients: He uses produce straight from the garden at his restaurant or the farmers’ market the eatery hosts weekly. With veggies like that, who needs meat? This tasty vegan dish has plenty of protein, plus healthy carbs, thanks to whole-grain, fiber-rich farro.

The brown-butter cookies used to make these dessert sandwiches are great with many different flavors of ice cream.

Both corn kernels and corn cobs are used to flavor the cream mixture that forms the base of this surprising dessert. The sweetness of the corn is great with the caramely sauce.

I spent some time in Knoxville and got to know firsthand how pleasant the people are and how proud they are to maintain the tradition of the apple stack cake. Everyone knows it, and the routine that they follow to make and serve it is serious business. It's an unusual and labor-intensive cake. First of all, the dough is rolled out like a cookie. It bakes into a pretty hard disk that will get mildly saturated with dried apples reconstituted with spices and sugar. The apples can't be fresh, and cheating the drying process is not acceptable. Electric fruit dehydrators save the effort of sun-drying apples on the porch or rigging an elaborate clothesline system in the attic—all methods I was told about by people who have seen it done. One important element of the stack cake is timing. It must be wrapped and left in the refrigerator at least overnight, longer if possible. Whether you wrap it with wax paper and dish towels, aluminum foil, or plastic wrap, one way or another, keep it well covered so the moisture won't escape.

The veggies are great at room temperature, so grill them a couple of hours ahead, if you like. Cooking them ahead also frees up room on the grill for whatever meat you’re grilling (lamb would be delicious with the vegetables).

Agua fresca (Spanish for "fresh water") is a Mexican drink infused with fruits, seeds, or flowers. This one combines the sweetness of pineapple with the spice of fresh ginger. Want to kick the party up a notch? Add a little vodka or tequila. Garnish with pineapple spears.

The exotic flavors of passion fruit and guava are layered in these pretty ice pops. To create perfectly defined layers, chill the guava mixture while the passion fruit mixture is freezing.

If you prefer a spicier sauce, add two chipotles instead of one.

All-American strawberry shortcake goes modern with a hit of balsamic vinegar and a dash of black pepper. Making the biscuits square instead of round is quicker and easier than using a biscuit cutter. Plus, you won’t have to reroll the dough, which can make the biscuits tough.

Charring the peppers adds a smoky flavor and brings out their sweetness. Steaming the charred peppers before peeling them allows the skin to separate easily from the flesh. Be sure not to rinse the peppers as you're peeling them—you'll wash away flavorful oils and sweet juices.

Sweet oranges help tame the heat of the habanero in this zippy salsa, which would also be delicious alongside grilled pork loin.

This salad is great with grilled chicken thighs, lamb chops, or leg of lamb.