Brunch

Nectarines, all types of plums, or apricots are easy swaps for the peaches.

When you think about it, "Pan Bagnat" is just a fancy way of saying "the best of all possible summer sandwiches." Unlike the typical tuna on wheat, this Provençal classic only gets better as sits, making it just the thing for picnics, backyard suppers, and last-minute road trips. And its briny, garlicky flavors beat plain old mayo any day.

Feel free to adapt this fruit salad as the seasons change; aim for a mix of juicy fruit (like melon), stone fruit, and berries.

A texture riot of a salad; it gets crunch and creaminess from toasted pecans and almond butter(!).

When not using this pesto to dress this very green salad, you could schmear it on just about any sandwich, or stir it into scrambled eggs.

Egg salad and potato salad: Unite! We like how the still-soft yolks dress the salad, but you can cook the eggs a minute or two longer if you like them more set.

Who doesn't love a wedge? Ask your butcher to cut slab bacon into thick slices (about 1/4") to yield nice meaty pieces once they're crisped on the grill.

What you really want to do with this granola is make the be-all, end-all of yogurt parfaits.

These pancakes are lighter than those in your standard stack: slender and slightly crisp on the outside, light and lacy with assertive raspberry flavor. The raspberries are blended into the milk before being added to the batter—a solution to having pockmarks of berry flavor only here and there. You'll want a mile-high pile.

When I put these ingredients in my rice cooker, I knew the flavors would complement each other, but I wondered what the dish would look like. It was lovely! The soft, melting goat cheese mingled with the asparagus and creamy eggs. The frittata makes a great light supper or lunch dish; serve it with a fruit salad.

This is an ode to Spain, a culture totally infatuated with the glories of asparagus. Here the green spears are paired with a classic Basque tomato-pepper relish called pipérade, simple poached eggs, and grits. One of these things has no place in Spain, but you can take the boy out of Georgia but you...well, you know.

The crisped prosciutto adds salty and savory notes, not unlike what Parmesan brings to a Caesar dressing.

Squeezing the liquid out of the zucchini is the secret to crisp fritters. (The potato helps, too.)

Caramelized strawberries and crunchy almonds dress up buttermilk pancakes with plenty of spring flair for Mother’s Day.

Instructor's advice: Start with very cold cream, and keep it chilled between whipping and serving.

Rose water infuses this tender cake with an intoxicating aroma perfectly matched by sweet-tart spring rhubarb.

Babylonstoren's chef Maranda Engelbrecht uses exotic tamarillos. If you can get them, great. If not, tomatoes are your best swap.

If you only have an 8 1/2x4 1/2" pan, there's no need to go out and get a new one. Simply hold back about 1 3/4 cups batter for later—it makes a mean waffle!