Saute

It's amazing how a splash of citrus and a handful of pistachios can transform a pair of humble brassicas—kale and kohlrabi both belong to that genus—into a bright, fresh, and lively dish. Although this recipe represents the letter k, it could just as easily have been g, for green. Or great.

Sure, go ahead and cook your favorite sausages, but be sure to use every iota of their flavor: Reheat the skillet and work some pork-based magic on a seasonal array of onion, fennel, tomatoes, and corn.

Feel free to use leftover rice from last night's takeout. The secret to good fried rice is starting with cold cooked grains.

A whole head of roasted garlic lays the foundation for an eggplant spread that's silky and satisfying, while chopped sun-dried tomatoes, fresh parsley, basil, and lemon add a healthy dose of sunshine, brightening its flavor and color. Serve it with thin slices of toasted baguette for a great take on crostini.

Talk about a sandwich with bravado: The bold flavors start with the smear of green-olive-flecked oil on the chewy, rustic rolls. Then come the layers of juicy sausages, piquant arugula, and piquillos. The fire-roasted sweet red peppers from Spain are well worth seeking out for their tenderness and subtle, smoky heat.

Bok choy goes on a Peter Mayle—inspired holiday to Provence in this versatile side dish or, tossed over rice, light back-porch supper.

Summer corn and vine-ripened tomatoes are already close to perfection, and they taste best when prepared simply. Here, the corn is sautéed with scallions in butter, the tomatoes are lightly dressed with oil and cider vinegar, and then the two components are tossed together so that their flavors and juices mix into something new.

With an adjustable-blade slicer, it's easy to transform zucchini into long, delicate pastalike ribbons that make an eye-catching partner for panfried chicken.

Ready your griddle. These pancakes capture the golden sweetness of corn cut from the cob. Drizzle warm maple syrup on them for breakfast or serve them as a side dish with salsa and sour cream.

The term shell bean generally refers to any bean that has to be removed from the pod before eating.

Haemul pa jeon—savory pancakes that are crispy outside and soft and tender inside—are a popular side dish. They're best served warm, then dipped in a sauce of soy, lemon, and sesame.

It's Basque chefs like Juan Mari Arzak and Martin Berasategui who grab the headlines for their culinary pyrotechnics (think of their food as the culinary equivalent of the Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao). But what you may not realize is that the Basque country is also a hotbed of grilling—done by and large with a simplicity that stands in striking contrast to the foams, jellies, and deconstructions of Spain's culinary avant-garde. A sprinkle of sea salt, a splash of vinegar or olive oil—these are the seasonings favored by the majority of Basque grill masters. Consider this simple grilled cod topped with olive oil and fried garlic—inspired by Beti-Jai ("always a holiday"), a popular restaurant tucked away in the warren of narrow streets in the old quarter of Donostia-San Sebastián.

To read of my travels, you might get the impression that for most of the last three years, I've done nothing but prowl night markets and food stalls. True, a lot of great grilling takes place at these markets, but you can also find some pretty amazing barbecue at luxury resorts. One such place is Amandari, a hotel built right into a rice paddy near the artist town of Ubud, Bali. There, a team of chefs cooks glorious grilled dishes such as grilled shrimp with fiery lemongrass sambal, Balinese grilled chicken, and whole grilled fish with makrut lime leaves.

Mojo is a Cuban sauce made from the juice of sour oranges (or, in this case, a mix of orange juice and lime juice). It's truly versatile—the sauce works as a marinade or salsa for beef, fish, pork, and poultry—so no wonder it tastes great with hot dogs, too.

If you've got some fresh-caught trout, we know just what to do with it. This incredible main-plus-side requires very few ingredients and is easy enough to make at your campsite or cabin. (And you can use store-bought, too: In that case, you should ask your fishmonger to bone and butterfly the whole trout for you.)

Bold North African flavors stand up to even the heartiest of hot dogs. Pile the dogs high with spicy harissa-flavored caramelized onions; a bright, pleasantly bitter preserved-lemon relish; and just a bit of hummus.

Summer—with its great produce—is a good time to go vegetarian.

Leeks and apples simmered in cider add a hint of sweetness—a nice contrast to the sharp melted cheddar. If you can find oblong pretzel rolls at your market, they'll make an ideal accompaniment to these English-style hot dogs.

When I take people out for Ethiopian food for the first time, this chicken stew, called doro wett (also spelled doro we't, doro wat, and doro wet), is a great introduction. It's the first Ethiopian dish I ever had, and I immediately liked the tender meat, the spicy eggs, and the flavorful sauce laced with berbere and ginger. It's a great dish to make for people who haven't eaten African food before, because it's easy to understand and like. Don't be alarmed when the sauce doesn't bind together and thicken like a traditional European-style sauce—it should in fact be liquidy and broken to soak into the injera it is served on.