31 Recipes to Make in May

Chef Chris Behr’s versatile frittata with crisp spring vegetables can be eaten warm or at room temperature. Serve for brunch with an accompanying platter of crusty bread, fresh fruit, cheese and salumi, or for lunch with a green salad.

Los Angeles pastry chef Karen Hatfield sprinkles her egg-soaked bread with cinnamon sugar before cooking it, creating an excellent crispy crust. She then tops the French toast with roasted plums and crème fraîche, creating the ultimate breakfast (or dessert).

A knockout ceviche is the result of a delicate balance of heat, salt, acidity, freshness, and crunch.

Gently crushing the cucumbers for this salad releases their aroma and creates nooks and crannies for soaking up the dressing. They still retain plenty of crunch, a great contrast to the rich, creamy butter beans.

The key to enjoying greens like radicchio and escarole in their raw state is to temper their bracingly bitter edge with the rich, the citrusy, and the sweet. The creamy golden yolks of soft-boiled eggs and a zesty vinaigrette bring everything together here.

At Maydan restaurant in Washington, D.C., these carrots are cooked directly in the coals of their massive hearth. Grilling over charcoal until charred gives a similar result. A blend of roasted and dried peppers and chiles give the harissa sauce fruity, smoky depth. Use the leftovers to season roasted chicken or vegetable soup.

Packed back into their shells and roasted, “stuffies” are a hearty way to enjoy quahogs and a staple of summer meals in Rhode Island.

Chef Juan Pablo Loza of Rosewood Mayakoba makes this refreshing salpicón, a basic salsa made here with cucumbers, radishes, habanero, red onion, and tomatoes.

The surprise in this dish is celery, which is actually perfect for skewering and grilling. It becomes deliciously crisp and tender, making it the ideal partner for rich and fatty rib eye steaks.

Delicious griddled wild mushrooms are the stars of this simple Catalan-inspired dish dressed with a smoky, garlicky vinaigrette.

Julia Sedefdjian’s simple mackerel is briefly marinated, then seared and served over simply dressed ripe heirloom tomatoes. A white balsamic–spiked tomato vinaigrette provides the perfect sweet-tart counterpoint to the rich, robust flavor of the mackerel.

Crisp-tender snap peas, spinach, and dandelion greens finish in the same pan for a truly springy, masterful main dish.

When making this crispy grilled chicken at home, it’s all about the marinade. To make it, use full-fat coconut milk; you’ll skim the cream to make the marinade and use the remaining milk to infuse the rice with rich coconut flavor.

Allowing the pasta dough to rise (just like a bread dough) before rolling and shaping gives the cecamariti in this dish its characteristic texture and flavor.

Huckleberries are similar to blueberries; either will work here. Sumac, a dried crimson berry common in Middle Eastern cooking, is naturally tart. It stands in for the lemon here and heightens the floral aroma of the berries. Violet extract is the can’t-quite-place-it element that intensifies the jammy berry filling.

The best strawberry daiquiri is bright and full-flavored but never too sweet, balancing juicy berries and tart lime.

A few smart swaps transform your favorite creamy spring pasta into a vegan-friendly masterpiece. Umami-rich nutrional yeast shoulders the duties of Parmesan, while buttery macadamia nut milk stands in for heavy cream.

Baltic black bread, traditionally made with rye flour and sourdough starter, is dense and sour, with a tight crumb. Its lush rye flavor gives this vegetarian soup earthy depth. A sprinkle of homemade cheese curds and fresh herbs lighten up each bowl.

This fresh and crunchy chaat stars a trio of spring peas punched up with a tempered mixture of whole cumin seeds, mustard seeds, chiles, and ginger. The tart lemon raita brings a welcome cooling element; spoon the extra over rice, naan, or fresh fruit.

This simple cake relies on a well-aerated batter for its light texture; cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy before adding the flour for best results.

The deep flavor pasilla de Oaxaca chiles impart to beef is exceptional. This recipe calls for six medium-size dried pasilla de Oaxaca chiles; if you can’t find them, chipotle morita or chipotle meco chiles are good substitutes.

Toasted walnuts are a surprise addition to the creamy, smoky red pepper puree that gets swirled into these harissa-spiked steamed mussels. Anisey Thai basil and salty-sour pickled onions compliment the sweet, plump mussels.

Traditional Trinidadian doubles are served open-faced and quickly wrapped in wax paper, letting the bara steam, and keeping the spicy filling piping hot. Try leftover tamarind sauce in margaritas, drizzled over fresh mangoes, or with roast pork.

Weaving the pasta sheets in this lasagna allows the outer pieces to bubble and crisp in the oven around the creamy, rustic prosciutto-ricotta filling. Don’t skip the fresh pasta sheets; their length and texture are key to weaving together this show-stopping dish.

Salmon steaks are essentially two fillets attached by the spine of the fish. Less expensive, and easier to grill than a fillet, these steaks are quickly cured in a brown sugar-based dry cure that’s also wonderful on fillets.

Canned mango pulp works better in these frozen ice pops than fresh mangoes because of its concentrated flavor, which helps cut through the rich cashews and sweetened condensed milk.

Fava beans are one of spring’s most coveted ingredients, and Andrea Slonecker’s favorite way of preparing them is to smash them with mint and pecorino into a chunky spread for topping toast.

Bruised Thai basil, cilantro, and mint permeate this dish, with a dressing of fish sauce and lime, pounded chiles, garlic, and ginger. Serve it alongside grilled or roasted fish or chicken and steamed jasmine rice.

Just a tablespoon of Onwuachi’s Pepper Sauce brings plenty of heat, and tenderizing flavor, to this reverse braised pork shoulder.

Fresh cabbage salad adds a sharp, acidic crunch to these warmly spiced, vegetable-filled rolls.

A generous ratio of butter to flour helps the dough spread in the oven, resulting in thin, crispy cookies with lacy golden brown edges. Chill the dough before baking to control spreading and concentrate the flavor of the cookies.