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My mom makes the most delicious salmon chowder. It always reminds me how tasty leeks are. The combination of tomatoes and cream creates a pretty pink base.

Sadly, you’re not going to be able to waltz down to the corner store and pick up escargot and shells. We ordered the Saveurs brand, along with the shells, from Amazon. This recipe is worth the wait.

This comforting savory pie is packed with kale and pan-roasted butternut squash.

The smoky sauce and mix of spices in this meatball recipe complement lamb perfectly.

This recipe for raw vegetables is the only conscionable thing you can serve right before sitting down to a heavier meal.

Smoked almonds and black olives are our suggestions for this appetizer, but use any nut or olive that you like.

This figs recipe is sweet, salty, sticky, and acidic—everything you want in a one-bite appetizer.

Traditionally, baklava is a Middle Eastern dessert, but we fell head over heels for this savory rendition. Roasting coaxes out the earthy magic in hearty root vegetables and fennel, which are then tossed with fresh dill and baked in walnut-layered phyllo until it's golden brown.

Traditional Greek skordalia is mostly garlic and olive oil with some potato or nuts added to thicken it. We flipped the ratio in this recipe: more potato, less garlic. Serve as a dip, or thin out with lemon juice and olive oil and use as a sauce for fish.

The lime juice and oil will keep the avocado from turning brown, but it’s a good idea to make this pico de gallo recipe right before you serve it.

Takes the fear out of frying with a foolproof explanation and a universally loved snack as your reward.

A bright tangle of shredded Brussels sprouts, raisins, and pine nuts tops silky ricotta in this snappy, satisfying toast.

I‘ve substituted sage here for the more commonly-used dill, to keep the soup’s flavor more in line with Thanksgiving. If it’s post-holiday time and you have leftover turkey meat, feel free to add it to the soup in hunks, about 5 to 10 minutes before serving, to warm it through without overcooking it. You can use neutral oil in place of the chicken fat, or even melted butter, if you don’t keep a kosher kitchen and/or want to make your ancestors turn over in their graves.

Adding ground pistachios creates a substantial dough that complements the leeks for these galettes.

The crunchy, salty, sesame-drenched celery sticks at Bar Goto in New York are so good, you’ll forget they’re made from vegetables.

Tarator is usually made with tahini, but the base for this recipe is almonds. It serves as both a binder for the rice cakes and as a sauce.