Radish

Slice the red beets last and keep them separate until serving so their color won't bleed onto the other vegetables.

You can find sumac, a lemony spice, at Middle Eastern markets, specialty foods stores, and wholespice.com

A quick pickle is a shortcut to flavor, a little bit of bite and texture in a jar. Never use aluminum bowls or utensils when pickling; the acid reacts to the metal.

This easy dinner is special enough for company.

The anchovy butter would also be terrific on grilled meats or steamed green beans.

Brief high-heat roasting mellows a radish's peppery flavor and turns it into a whole new root vegetable. Using the green radish tops adds color and amps up the radish flavor. Be sure to rinse the green tops thoroughly before using them. This would be a great side dish for roasted pork loin or leg of lamb.

Crunchy and colorful, this is an ideal first-course salad. Be sure to grate the peel from the tangerines before cutting the fruit into slices.

David makes these pickles to be enjoyed right after seasoning, while they are still vibrant and crunchy.

The inspiration for this recipe comes from poc chuc, a grilled pork dish from Mexico's Yucatán region. Brining the pork chops prevents the meat from drying out on the grill.

This recipe purposely gives you more chicken than you'll need for one sitting. Reserve the leftover, plus a cup of the Mango-Sesame Dressing, to make quick work of Noodle Salad With Chicken and Snap Peas a few days later.

Crudités and dip are party staples. Choose whatever seasonal veggies you like, but mix up the colors. Some veggies, such as carrots and peppers, can be served raw, while others, like zucchini and asparagus, should be blanched but still have a slight crunch. There's nothing sexy about a limp piece of asparagus! And keep the vegetables separate—it makes it easier to refill the platters.

This riff on the classic frisée salad with lardons is the perfect thing to make with leftover hazelnuts from our 10 Minute Main Hake with Hazelnuts and Capers . It looks delicate, but its vinaigrette is enriched with the nuts and some bacon fat, which not only gives it substance but also balances the bitterness of the frisée and the bite of the radishes.

A delicious winter salad that would also be great alongside pork chops.

You'll achieve fresh, fiery flavor for only a few calories with this Mexican stew. And although hominy isn't technically a whole grain (the germ and hull are removed), its high fiber makes it a bona fide waist-whittling carb.

Avocado pureed with buttermilk (low-fat) and yogurt (with the cream on top) yields a pale green soup laced with masses of minced herbs, textured with cucumber, and garnished with slivered radishes, herbs, and green pistachios. All in all, it's a fine soup for a hot day, and although the recipe makes just a scant quart, it will be enough for four or more servings.

When I was a kid, my sister and I would make a platter of these after school and eat them while watching The Brady Bunch and Gilligan's Island. To this day, I can tell you the plot of any episode just by watching the first two seconds. I can also still eat a whole platter of these. Granted, they're nothing fancy, but they're always the first things to go. Try them when you're inviting a few friends over for beer on a hot summer's day.

Risotto, the ultimate comfort food of Milan, heads south to sunny Rome in a revamp of a classic. Pecorino Romano—in place of the more traditional Parmigiano-Reggiano—brings a delectably briny tang, while crunchy radishes in a light vinaigrette provide a counterpoint to the creamy Arborio rice.

The French custom of serving radishes with sweet butter and sea salt is a lesson in simplicity; there's something so satisfying about a lick of creamy butter against the snap of peppery radish. Here, anchovy paste adds a singular savor to the butter, but the ease of the tradition remains. It's worth seeking out small radishes like the French Breakfast variety; if you can find only big ones, just halve them.