fast and easy

At the mere mention the word "picnic," my ears perk up. So when I was flipping through Heather Christo's Generous Table and came across a menu plan for a lakeshore picnic, I knew I'd have to make at least one recipe from her spread. Add an early and bountiful cherry season to the mix — my local farmers market suddenly became overrun with them last week — and it was settled. Quinoa salad with cherries and feta would make it to my table, and soon.

Thankfully, Christo's palate is spot-on. Juicy cherries play off salty feta like old friends. Add grassy parsley, sharp minced shallot, and nutty toasted almonds to the mix, and the result is a hearty grain-based salad perfect for picnics, brown-bag lunches, or just because. As long as cherries keep finding their way into my farmers market tote, this delightful dish will be on my table.

Get the fast and fruity recipe.

Combine thick batons of slab bacon, or lardons, runny-yolked poached eggs, a sprinkling of minced shallot, and frilly frisée, and it's no surprise that the resulting salad is salty, sharp, and satisfying. Even better, salade Lyonnaise, as it's known in France, is gloriously versatile. It can serve as an elegant yet easy first course to a classic French meal or satiate on its own with the addition of an extra poached egg and a smattering of croutons or a hunk of baguette to mop up any extra dressing.

For a splendid and not-too-fussy meal, start with the salad at hand and a glass of crisp white wine, and pair it with lemon and lavender roast chicken, moules à la marinière, or a bloody rare New York strip steak. Either way, make certain to try out this can't-miss recipe.

If you're not yet acquainted with larb, a Thai meat- and herb-based salad that simultaneously manages to hit salty, sour, spicy, sweet, and savory notes, then it's about time your paths crossed. If you're already a fan — as nearly anyone who's tried it is — you may notice that this version is a bit atypical, primarily in the method of meat prep. Most larb is based around ground meat, but my favorite Thai restaurant's must-order duck version features bite-size chunks of roast duck, burnished, luxuriously fatty skin and all, and since my first bite, I've become a steadfast convert.

This recipe reflects that, but with a slight nod to more user-friendly ingredients, swapping chicken thighs for the duck (feel free to sub duck if your market stocks it). Either way, it's a tantalizing dish that brings a taste of Thailand to your dinner table in a flash. Get the exceptional and exotic recipe.

The long wait is over — thank goodness! — and berries and stone fruit are returning to supermarket shelves (at absurdly low prices to boot). A textured Winter fruit salad has kept me going the past few months, but now I'm putting that recipe aside for this Spring- and Summer-forward fruit salad featuring all-new produce.

It's impossible to pinpoint what I love most about this combination of flavors. Sure, any old day you can combine a bunch of berries in a bowl, but here, mint, nutty Marcona almonds, and lemon zest and juice transform this into a fruit salad worthy of serving on a special occasion. The addition of sugar enhances the flavors in the fruit as well as releases more juices so the whole salad is marinated in a berry syrup.

Celebrate berry season with this fruit salad.

This simple ribboned carrot salad might not be the first thing to jump off the beautifully photographed pages of Louisa Shafia's much-lauded cookbook The New Persian Kitchen, but skimming past it would make for a small tragedy. Vinegary and bright, with a nutty, roasted note from the toasted sesame seeds and oil, it's not only visually stunning, but also delightfully balanced and far more nuanced than its simplicity would suggest.

Even better, it's quick (and easy) to prepare and can hold up to an overnight stay in the fridge, making it weeknight dinner- and brown-bag lunch-friendly, a rare and impressive feat. So what are you waiting for? Bust out the vegetable peeler, and get down to it.