Improv Cassoulet

There are so many things I love about cassoulet ... one of them being its versatility. Be creative with your leftovers--beans, roasted meat, stale bread--and see what it becomes.

Crispy Mashed Potato Cakes

If you have leftover mashed potatoes on hand, these easy potato cakes come together in no time for a quick appetizer or vegetarian main dish.

Peanut-Sweet Potato Soup

Peanuts and sweet potatoes make a great pair in this warm, golden sweet potato soup. Although the flavors are complex, this soup is easy for a healthy midweek dinner.

Sausage and Grape Skewers

This recipe, my slightly off-kilter ode to harvest, was adapted from Micol Negrin’s gem of a book, The Italian Grill.

Easy Mushroom Ragu

This easy vegetarian ragu is also an incredibly versatile little number. Toss it with pasta, serve it over polenta, or spoon it onto crostini smeared with goat cheese.

Melone e Limone (Melon and Lemon)

I fell in love with this simple, stunning Melone e Limone (Melon and Lemon) appetizer recently as a simple way to showcase fresh, ripe, peak-season fruit.

“Melted” Summer Squash

This is one of my favorite ways to serve summer squash. You can use any type of squash, but I prefer the denser, green-fleshed varieties, such as zucchini.