Leek

Pumpkin seeds are available at many supermarkets and at natural foods stores and Latin markets. The pumpkin seed oil can be found at specialty foods stores and at surfasonline.com.

Most burrata—cream-filled fresh mozzarella—is made in just two places: Puglia and Southern California. But this addictive cheese is catching on. Chef Nancy Silverton combines it with leeks and breadcrumbs at her (and Mario Batali's) Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles. Look for burrata at Italian delis and cheese stores.

Serve warm with fillets of salmon, in scrambled eggs or pasta, or on crostini with goat cheese.

These versatile soufflés can be served for breakfast or lunch, or as a side dish for dinner.

A shot of red-wine vinegar is all it takes to enliven this simple, earthy side dish.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Aroma: The Magic of Essential Oils in Food and Fragrance by Mandy Aftel and Daniel Patterson. This is an incredibly useful and versatile stock. It has a sweet vegetal flavor that can be used in many different ways—as a base for sauces and soups, adding richness and depth without changing the essential flavor of what it is paired with. It keeps in the refrigerator for one week, or you can freeze it indefinitely.

This recipe originally accompanied Lemongrass Consommé with Matzoh Balls, Leeks, and Shiitake Mushrooms

For a vegetarian version, use 24 ounces extra-firm tofu instead of chicken, and increase the soy sauce to 2/3 cup and the vinegar to 1/2 cup. Serve with brown rice or soba noodles.

Gremolata (a classic Italian garnish made from lemon peel, parsley, and garlic) gets a new twist here with the addition of tarragon.

Eggs become a silky, creamy sauce when they're tossed with hot pasta. Here, leeks add a nice spring touch to the traditional Roman dish.

Give your pan-seared salmon fillets a lemony pop with mustard-herb butter.

A leek, carrot, and celery mirepoix, cooked until tender with rich white beans, gets a crisp, crunchy texture and delightfully rustic flavor from a garlicky bread-crumb topping flecked with parsley.

Though coq au vin made with red wine is perhaps the best-known incarnation of the French dish in this country, most regions of France have unique versions that take advantage of local wines. Alsace's dry Riesling lends a gentle richness to this creamy, comforting meal.

Savoy cabbage would work well here, too.

Oven-roasting whole fish marries ease of preparation with stunning presentation.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Alice Waters's book The Art of Simple Food. This especially satisfying one-pan dish is delicious served with soft polenta, mashed potatoes, or shell beans. Good choices for the green olives are unpitted Lucques or Picholines.