Parsnip

In this soupy, risotto-like side dish or starter, pureed parsnips and blanched carrots, parsnips, and turnips are stirred into cooked basmati rice. The parsnip puree adds luxurious richness without any cream, butter, or cheese. Serve alongside pan-grilled steaks or pork chops.

Vegetarians deserve a showstopping centerpiece for their main course, too, and this burnished pumpkin, filled with a fragrant stew, will have even meat eaters saying, "Who needs a turkey?" Root vegetables, mushrooms, and seitan—a firm, meatlike wheat protein that soaks up all the flavors of the sauce—mingle with roasted vegetables inside the pumpkin, whose flesh you scoop out along with servings of the stew. (Don't be intimidated at the thought of assembling such a masterpiece—if you've ever made a jack-o'-lantern, you have the skills to prepare this dish.)

Since roasting brings out the best in most vegetables, food editor Melissa Roberts decided to throw the potatoes into the oven along with the garlic and parsnips, their companions in this dish. The result is an earthy mash, with chunks of caramelized parsnip and savory-sweet garlic.

This recipe was created by chef Traci Des Jardins of San Francisco's Jardinière. It's part of a special menu she created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

To add richness, sauté three ounces sliced pancetta until crisp; crumble over before serving. Varietal honeys are available at specialty foods stores and online at chefshop.com.

Roasted carrots, parsnips, and rutabagas add great depth of flavor.

Use leftover corned beef or a few slices from the deli. Trim the fat from the corned beef and use it to sauté the vegetables. If there's not enough fat, supplement with butter.

The filling: rich chunks of leftover brasato and vegetables . The topping: mashed parsnips and potatoes.

Be sure to start marinating the game hens at least six hours ahead. At Standard Tap, Carolynn Angle uses poussins — small chickens that weigh about a pound each. If you can find them (they're sold frozen at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores), buy six and cook them whole.

Serve with chopped celery leaves and horseradish mixed into sour cream. Look for panko at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of supermarkets.

Caramelized by high-heat roasting, all that these parsnips needed was a hint of sage to make fans of us all.

Traditionally, gremolata is made with parsley, lemon peel, and garlic. Here, Parmesan adds richness and pecans add crunch.

Parsnips, celery root, and sweet potatoes bring depth to this unfussy gratin. Best of all, it requires no "arranging"—you just spread the root vegetables in the baking dish.

Parsnips may not be the flashiest of vegetables, but we love their earthy flavor, especially when they're gussied up with fragrant black-truffle butter.

Traditional Scandinavian fare, this rich stew is comfort food at its best — think chicken potpie without the crust. Boiled potatoes are the perfect starch to balance the sweet carrots and parsnips.

Chef: Wylie Dufresne, 71 Clinton Fresh Food, New York City. Claim to fame: His restaurant won a rave review from The New York Times — now it's a hot spot. How he defines natural: "Clean, simple food tastes best; by happy accident it's also healthiest."