Fruit

Old-fashioned and still delicious.

This twilight-blue sweet-tart sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. Made in a food processor, it’s thicker than when made in the blender.

This creamy (yet vegan) dessert can follow a meal from just about any cuisine: Caribbean, Indian, Mediterranean, West African, Asian, North American.…

Sweet-smelling, dense, and moist, these cupcakes don’t really need a frosting—it’s just icing on the cake! And yes, they really do taste good made with olive oil. These cupcakes are good keepers; they stay moist for up to a week.

Creamy, fruity, refreshing, and vegan. The combination of mango and coconut makes this a perfect dessert to follow a Caribbean or Indian meal.

Making cake batter in the blender? What could be easier? This cake is elegant enough for a dinner party and easy enough for a weekday.

The easiest crumble we know of—it uses frozen cherries and store-bought shortbread cookies that you can find on the natural foods shelf. (See photo)

Warm, luscious bananas soaked in rum—a little taste of tropical paradise.

These subtly spiced pears have an attractive crinkly look and are a lovely finish for an autumn meal. They keep nicely in the refrigerator for 4 or 5 days.

Warm caramelized plums are delicious paired with cool and creamy mascarpone. You can also cook the plums under a broiler for about 10 minutes or on a tabletop grill for 5 minutes.

This colorful chutney, better than any you can buy in a jar, adds a sweet-and-sour note to curries, baked tofu, or any spicy dish and can even put a new spin on that same old peanut butter sandwich.

We hope you have a microplane grater (see page 290), because the quality of the lemon zest makes a big difference.

A basic vinaigrette can be quickly made with only a few key ingredients found in the pantry.

The clean, fresh flavors of cilantro and lime make this one of our all-time favorite dressings. If you like a smooth, emulsified dressing, make it in a blender.

We rely on this little carrot salad over and over to add color, sweetness, and crunch to many meals. It’s even prettier topped with fresh raspberries. (See photo)

A perfect balance of flavors and textures, this salad is sure to become a favorite first course to enjoy while supper cooks. Replace the pecans with Sweet Spiced Nuts (page 261) for a special touch.

Sour citrus and spicy peppercorns are perfect foils for salty feta. (See photo)

After you taste these perfectly seasoned potatoes, you’ll never go back to butter-drenched ones.