Salad

Yes, you can eat butternut squash raw: Thinly shave it into ribbons and marinate it in a zesty dressing and it’s a refreshing and fun new side for your fall table.

Adding silken tofu to the base of this dressing both enriches it with a little added protein and lends it a satiny texture. You can adjust the amount of water added to create something thicker and dippable for crudités or thinner and drizzly for tossing into salads.

When all the flavors meld, the dried mint blooms and transforms this dish into a refreshing slaw that pairs well with fatty cuts of meat.

Toss roasted squash and charred Brussels sprouts through a salad of chickpeas, salami, olives, and cheese; add a lemony oregano vinaigrette and enjoy.

Frying thick slices of bread in olive oil on only one side gives you a magical combination of crisp and soft so that the bread can soak up the tomato juices without getting soggy.

Feta and bread get roasted alongside winter squash, then tossed with pleasantly bitter greens for a salad that’s equal parts warm and cold, soft and crunchy, and sweet and savory.

Mix and match your favorite fall vegetables into this delicious side dish.

Long sweet peppers show up at farmers’ markets during the peak of the season and may be sold as long sweet yellow, sweet banana, Hungarian Sweet, or Cubanelle. You can substitute two medium red, orange, or yellow bell peppers (don’t use the green ones).

Bacon does double-duty in this nuanced version of Cobb salad: the crispy slices add flavor and texture, and the rendered fat becomes the base of a warm vinaigrette.

Salting and squeezing the radishes seasons and crisps them.

This ribbon salad is evidence that you need a mandoline in your life. The shaved cucumber and melon will release some liquid and lose a bit of crunch after they’re dressed, so toss everything together just before serving.

Tossing sliced plums in a mixture of sharp sherry vinegar, honey, black pepper, and shaved Parm brings them into the super-savory zone. Top it all off with a drizzle of your favorite olive oil.

This summer, take your peaches to dinner. Combine the fruit with a zippy dressing, ripe tomatoes, and creamy cheese for the ultimate sweet-salty-savory salad.

This boldly flavored fruit salad is a welcome accompaniment to any grilled main.

Turn any roasted or grilled vegetable into a picnic-ready cold salad by marinating it for a few hours in this sweet-tart vinaigrette. Stir in your favorite fresh herbs just before serving.