Celery

Chickpeas add meaty body to a home-style vegetable soup; round out the flavors with a sprinkling of grated cheese.

Fennel dressing, bright with lemon juice, coats pleasantly bitter greens with an intriguing hint of licorice.

This yields enough broth for the gravy and the stuffing . Use heavy large rimmed baking sheets; regular ones may buckle.

The cornbread needs to dry overnight, so start this at least one day ahead.

If crawfish are hard to find, shrimp make a good stand-in.

Here's a classic stuffing to suit all tastes. For a vegetarian version, substitute vegetable or mushroom broth.

This rich, custard-like stuffing is also a great main-course option for vegetarians at the Thanksgiving table; it would be nice with a salad for brunch or lunch, too.

Roasting the turkey and vegetables before simmering them results in a dark stock that takes you more than halfway to a rich brown gravy. The recipe yields enough for the gravy and then some, but you'll be happy to have the extra when it comes time to make soup.

There's lots of bold flavor in this hearty stuffing, which, though inspired by a classic Italian combination, happens to work in perfect concert with everything on the American holiday table. Baking it in a wide dish yields plenty of crusty top for everyone.

This bolognese lacks one traditional main ingredient—meat. However, with hearty vegetables, you'll hardly know it's missing.

This classic tomato juice cocktail gets extra flavor from aquavit, a distilled spirit infused with fragrant herbs and spices.

These vegetables pick up a little spice and sourness from the pickling, but they stay crisp and retain their individual flavors.

To begin, a little taste of the sea, easily prepared ahead of time. Beautiful, sophisticated, and delicious, mussels are perfect party appetizers. Each bite offers a complex layering of flavors, and the shells make lovely natural dishes.

Quinotto de Hongos y Camarones
This dish—quinoa prepared risotto-style—is so good, you'll forget it's good for you. Quinoa, whose name means "mother grain," is indigenous to Peru and dates from the time of the Inca civilization. Compared with other grains, quinoa is very high in protein and relatively low in carbohydrates. If you're pressed for time, we found a great substitute for fresh clam broth.

Using roast chicken from the grocery store makes this recipe super-easy. Improv: Add sweet and crunchy accents by mixing a few chopped toasted pecans and some dried cranberries into the chicken salad. Instead of rolls, use crusty French bread or thick slices of sourdough bread.

Don't be surprised if you're asked for this recipe again and again — these shrimp are an absolute knockout. The bright acidity of the marinade and the crispness of fennel, celery, and onion are a delicious counterpoint to the sweetness of the shrimp.

Asiago frico — easy-to-make crispy cheese wafers — top this salad. Look for tender young spinach at the farmers' market. In some areas, what you find at the farmers' market may be cheaper than what's available at the supermarket. If you have a first-rate extra-virgin olive oil and some sea salt in your cupboard, here's a chance to show them off.