100 Best Recipes Ever: Grains, Legumes & Vegetables

A summer staple from the coastal town of Antakya, this light stew is a favorite of Musa Dagdeviren’s wife, Zeynep, who was born there. To keep the textures and flavors of the vegetables distinct, Musa layers the eggplant in a pot with tomatoes, lentils, chopped onions and garlic, then slowly cooks it, covered, without stirring. The stew is best when made ahead and allowed to mellow for at least a few hours.

Maria Helm Sinskey, culinary director of Robert Sinskey Vineyards in Napa Valley and author of the phenomenal cookbook The Vineyard Kitchen, created this indulgent baked polenta, made with plenty of Parmesan. It’s just as good when made ahead and reheated as it is when it comes straight out of the oven.

To create a terrific vegetarian main course, Michael Symon tosses quinoa with arugula, apple, raisins and fresh herbs, then spoons the salad into a halved baked squash (a great source of iron and vitamins A and C).

Chef Jerry Traunfeld, inspired by a trip through India, flavored this creamy chickpea salad with aromatic herbs and Indian spices, among them mustard, cumin and fennel seeds.

Among the appealing things about this earthy winter hash is its many textures, including crispy, caramelized sunchokes, silky oyster mushrooms, tender kale and chewy farro. It’s wonderful with grilled skirt steaks, but also good on its own as a vegetarian main course.

New York City’s Torrisi Italian Specialties uses only American ingredients in virtually all of its dishes. Its basil-rich eggplant parmesan, also delicious on a toasted roll, calls for Progresso Italian Style bread crumbs and SarVecchio parmesan from Wisconsin.

Use a mandoline to cut the vegetables into thin slices; they will turn tender when baked with chicken broth and a little cream.

The staff at Myers + Chang restaurant call these sprouts “green candy” because they get so sweet as they brown in the skillet.

Parboiling the potatoes before roasting makes for a fluffy interior and a crisp golden brown surface. Olives and garlic are added at the end of roasting so that their flavors remain vibrant.

Andrew Carmellini prepares this dish with homemade bread crumbs and hard-to-find Sicilian oregano. Home cooks can simplify by topping spicy greens with crispy panko (packaged Japanese bread crumbs) and a touch of supermarket oregano.