Raw

This recipe was created to accompany Smoked Whitefish Cakes with Cucumber Salsa. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Asian cucumber ribbon salad can fill a pita pocket — with other ingredients or on its own — or it can accompany fish or meat as a side dish.

This recipe was created to accompany Sophisticated Stir-Fried Rice and Szechuan -Flavored Country Style Spareribs .

Use with sweet and buttery lettuces such as Boston and Bibb.

The fruit in the salad can be varied with the season. In summer, add cantaloupe; in winter, oranges are good.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe yields enough dressing for both the seafood salad and the rice .

This salad is wonderfully refreshing even without purslane, but if you can find the green at your produce market, it's worth using for the nice crunch it adds. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

Salsa Mexicana Variations of this fresh tomato-based salsa show up on restaurant tables all over Mexico, where it is called pico de gallo, salsa fresca, or salsa mexicana. The bright flavor of the salsa adds sparkle to anything it touches — quesadillas; grilled chicken, fish or steak; tamales; tacos; and, of course, tortilla chips. This recipe is an accompaniment for Crispy Pork with Avocado Salsa and Tomato Salsa .

This recipe is an accompaniment for Caesar Salad with Pepper-Grilled Tuna.

Pomegranate seeds are a colorful, tangy garnish for this salad. The season for pomegranates comes to an end by mid-February, so plan ahead and buy one now (they keep for several weeks in the refrigerator). Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Radicchio, curly endive, butter lettuce and arugula are perfectly blended in this simple salad and tossed with a lemony dressing. Chef Hearon suggests uncorking a crisp Ligurian white wine or a California Charbono.

Fools are traditionally prepared with pureed fruit mixed with whipped cream, or egg custard, or a combination of the two. (The term fool probably comes from the French fouler, meaning "to crush.") They seem to be especially successful when made with sharply flavored garden produce like rhubarb, gooseberries, and black currants, which still have enough bite to be interesting when blended with cream. But strawberries, which are much easier to find, also work quite nicely. Strawberry fool is best when the fruit is mashed rather than pureed, resulting in a more appealing texture. Serve it with cookies.

Flavored vinegars can be used to enliven dressings and marinades, finish pan sauces, or pickle vegetables--and they make wonderful gifts. Once the steeping is completed, these vinegars keep for several months. (Garnishes and other solids left in the jar, however, may discolor or break down.)