Salad

Look for celery root that is firm—not spongy—at the bottom end.

It can be hard to gauge what's happening under all that salt, but these times are accurate. If your fish is on the smaller side, take it out on the lower end of the range.

Sourdough enriches salad dressing for a creamy, tangy finish.

Morales insists it's not a Russian party without this retro seafood salad on the table.

Szechuan peppercorn's unique flavor is tingly and refreshing rather than chile-hot. You can find them in gourmet shops or online. You can also substitute a pinch of red-pepper flakes if you'd prefer a bit of heat instead.

If using large mustard greens, remove the tough stems and tear leaves into bite-size pieces. Smaller leaves can be left whole.

Vibrant greens, handfuls of fresh herbs, nuts for crunch, and horseradish for bite. Ingredients are suggestions; feel free to mix it up.

To learn how to cut endive into long, layered spears for an elegant look.

Parsnip, a vegetable usually roasted or pureed, is crunchy, sweet, and delicious raw. Who knew?

Massaging the dressing into the kale with your hands helps break down some of the fibers so the greens are more tender.

I rarely rave about my own recipes, but this is one I can just go on and on about. It is the definition of freshness with its sweet-and-sour late-summer flavors, and it is also an utter delight to look at. But the most incredible thing about it is that it uses a few ingredients that I have been lovingly cooking with for many years, and believed I knew everything there was to know about, yet had never thought of mixing them in such a way. That is, until I traveled to Istanbul and came across a similar combination of fresh tomatoes and pomegranate seeds in a famous local kebab restaurant called Hamdi, right by the Spice Bazaar. It was a proper light-bulb moment when I realized how the two types of sweetness-the sharp, almost bitter sweetness of pomegranate and the savory, sunny sweetness of tomato-can complement each other so gloriously. I use four types of tomato here to make the salad more interesting visually and in flavor. You can easily use fewer, just as long as they are ripe and sweet.

You need a palate-cleansing salad to balance the rich pork and hearty sides: This is it.

Parmesan crisps turn this simple fall salad into something extra-special.

If you can't find both red and yellow beets, just use all of one or the other, and pickle everything in one bowl. The pickles keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to 2 weeks, making them perfect for snacking with holiday leftovers.

Toss earthy kale with a bright citrus dressing and finish with a crunch of toasted walnuts. Use baby kale, if possible, for its tender leaves.

Instead of tossing all of the ingredients together in this healthy, mayonnaise-free take on potato salad, the potatoes are served on a bed of the creamy avocado-chia dressing. The contrast of the purple potatoes against the green dressing is a real showstopper. If purple potatoes aren't available, this recipe also works well with red-skinned potatoes.

Loaded with fresh herbs and sturdy kale and then set off by a bright and spicy dressing, this is an ideal counterpoint to the more decadent dishes on the table.