Vegetarian

What a great way to use up some of those veggies that are beginning to look a little tired in the fridge. Start with a few fresh ingredients and be creative with your trimmings. Use this stock for a bit more flavor when making soups, moistening bread stuffing, deglazing a roasting or sauté pan, or stirring up a risotto.

These sweet, sour, and slightly spicy onion slices add zest and color to just about any salad or sandwich. They are also a great accompaniment to a roasted meat, paté, or terrine, and they’re delicious piled atop quesadillas!

These are great on quesadillas, black beans, and in Cornmeal-crusted Oyster and Black-eyed Pea Salad with Jalapeño Dressing (p. 123).

Pungent and concentrated in flavor, preserved lemons are popular in Moroccan and Middle Eastern cooking. To use them, pull the lemon flesh away from the rind and discard. Give the rind a brief rinse in cold water, then dice or chop and add to a dish at the end of cooking. I use preserved lemons in my Artichoke Dolmades with Lemon Sauce (p. 20). They also add a distinct flavor to couscous and cracked wheat salads. You’ll want to use them sparingly (a tablespoon or two is typically enough) so they don’t overpower other flavors. This recipe doubles or triples easily.

I call this recipe “confit” because, like the French method for preserving meat, it involves slow-cooking the garlic cloves in oil and other liquids. Poaching garlic on the stovetop is an alternative to roasting garlic in the oven. I actually prefer poaching because there is less waste—when the cooking process is complete, you are left with the whole cloves as opposed to squeezing sticky partial cloves out of a softened bulb. As with roasting, this method replaces the sharp heat of raw garlic with a flavor that’s deep and sweet. I usually poach at least two bulbs so I have plenty on hand for antipasto platters, White Bean Hummus (p. 172), pastas, vinaigrettes, or even for slathering on a piece of toast for a snack.

I serve this unexpected puree (cauliflower as sauce, who knew?) with seared or grilled scallops, beef, or salmon. Simply place the warm fish or meat atop a pool of the cream.

This pretty, rich-tasting pesto enhances simple grilled fish or meats (try it with grilled chicken thighs). You might also consider serving it on an antipasto platter rolled up in strips of grilled eggplant, or tossed with small balls of fresh mozzarella called bocconcini, or “little mouthfuls.”

This is a good way to make the most of a small amount of peas (or favas). Serve alongside some wild mushrooms sautéed with a little dice of bacon for an easy springtime starter. By the way, if, in a following life, I could come back as any vegetable, I think I would be a fava bean, so I could slumber inside that velvety soft pod. Just a thought.

This unique southwestern-inspired pesto is made with pepitas, which are the green pumpkin seeds that have been shelled from their white hulls. This pesto is particularly great with grilled shrimp, butternut squash ravioli, or pork chops; blended with avocado as a dip for tortilla chips; smeared on a black bean quesadilla; or tossed with penne, chorizo, and roasted red peppers. That should keep you busy for a while!

This spicy mayo, a variation on the classic condiment from the south of France (traditionally flavored with saffron), is the perfect garnish for my Gulf Coast Bouillabaisse (p. 220). But it’s also delicious on just about any grilled fish or bowl of steamed mussels, or a crab omelet. When you serve it with a soup or stew, be sure to include plenty of toasted bread rounds to sop it up.

At Bayona, we like to jazz up tartar sauce with all kinds of extra goodies, such as preserved lemon and pepperoncini, in addition to the usual ingredients (capers, pickles, etc.). It’s just the thing with sautéed cornmeal-crusted trout or fried oysters and some vinegary slaw.

This unusual aïoli is good on any kind of grilled meat, especially lamb, and the tasty little chickens known as poussins. You might also serve it with roasted artichoke quarters. For this recipe you can steep your own lavender honey, as described below, or simply buy a good-quality lavender honey from Provence.

Whether you are slathering it on a turkey sandwich or making egg or chicken salad, you can’t beat homemade mayo. Using one whole egg in addition to the yolks helps the mixture whip into a lighter texture and prevents the mayonnaise from being overly “eggy” tasting. For a lime, lemon, or orange variation, add a tablespoon of the appropriate zest and 2–3 tablespoons of juice, then decrease the amount of vinegar so the mixture is not too acidic. Lime mayonnaise is delicious with Bahamian Conch Fritters (p. 34).

This is a vibrant, sweet, and spicy sauce that is yummy on seared scallops, roast chicken breasts, and grilled fish fillets. It’s easy to make and keeps well in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks. Feel free to throw in some minced garlic if you love it the way I do. The cilantro is optional, but the fresh green fragrance and color is an appealing touch.

This incredibly simple, delicious sauce is great with Hibachi Souvlaki (p. 164), Turkish Stuffed Eggplant with Spicy Lamb and Rice (p. 280), and good ol’ falafel sandwiches. Double the batch for parties and backyard barbecues (it’s great on lamb burgers and grilled merguez sausage, too). It keeps well in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

Green and pungent, this is my favorite version of the famed Argentinean sauce. For a more traditional version, substitute fresh oregano for the cilantro, and red wine vinegar for the lime juice. Serve it with fat, juicy rib eyes, grilled chicken breasts, or tuna steaks.

There are many different versions and interpretations of this exotic mixture, which can be used as a marinade, a sauce, or, with a little more olive oil, a vinaigrette. Use a portion of it to marinate fish or chicken, then grill, and toss the remaining mixture with thinly sliced Vidalia onions and sweet red peppers for a quick summer supper.

Adapted from The Royal Oak Restaurant and Pub. I fell in love with this creamy sauce when I first tasted it back in 1970 at the Royal Oak Pub in New Orleans, owned by Mr. and Mrs. John Newsham. They used to serve it with fried eggplant, and it is one of those texture and flavor combinations that I will never forget: the crisp eggplant nestled into the nutty, garlicky puree (as thick and luscious as butter-cream). Later, when I became a chef, the Newshams were big supporters of my career and even shared with me two of their family recipes, including this one, after Mr. Newsham passed away. I will always be grateful to them for the many food memories, and for their kindness.

This silky puree is just one more way to enjoy fresh goat cheese, which is a favorite of mine. It can be served with toasted bread and sun-dried tomatoes for a quick hors d’oeuvre, or paired with a salad of fresh greens for an appealing first course. It’s also irresistible slathered on a turkey or grilled portobello sandwich. This puree is similar to the garlic goat cheese filling for my Eggplant Roulades (p. 303), but the addition of fresh basil, herbes de Provence, and chives gives it a style all its own.

In this hummus recipe, I use white Italian beans instead of chickpeas for a Mediterranean twist on the Middle Eastern classic. Luscious Garlic Confit (p. 193) infuses the dip with a sweet, rich flavor. This creamy, healthful puree is delicious with crudités, Seasoned Pita Crisps (p. 89), blue corn tortilla chips, or on a sandwich with grilled vegetables and (of course) hot sauce. White Bean Hummus can also partner with a few other items to create a beautiful antipasto platter. Just add, for example, roasted red pepper strips, marinated olives, and a few tablespoons of roasted garlic cloves. Don’t be surprised if this becomes one of your new (snacking and entertaining) staples.