Perfectly Seasonal

For mushroom lovers, it'd be sacrilege not to seize the moment during the short window of time that morels are in season; they have a uniquely nutty, earthy quality that simply can't be resisted. Unfortunately, the cost of morel magnificence certainly doesn't come cheap: more often than not, these babies go for upwards of $40 per pound!

Yet I've discovered ways to work in little bits of this luxury item into my everyday meals. This pasta, which is coated in a pesto of morels, shallots, and pine nuts, is the perfect way to stretch a small amount of the delicacy while getting a good amount of their flavor, and the tab is a manageable $5 to $10 a person. Want to savor morel mushrooms on a budget, too? Here's one way to do it.

Monday through Friday, without fail, you'll find me digging into a bowl of piping-hot oatmeal. Hearty, comforting, and ready in a pinch, it's my go-to weekday breakfast. That said, come Saturday, I like to break away from the basics and whip up something a bit more indulgent and whimsical. Golden and puffy — almost as though defying gravity — dutch babies fit the bill, and then some.

Almost a cross between a popover and a traditional pancake, dutch babies might seem more impressive than their flapjack cousins, but they are actually lower-fuss, with the oven doing most of the heavy lifting. And while I relish more intensive weekend cooking projects, the first thing in the morning, low exertion with a big payoff is far more enticing.

Read on to get the recipe.

How does your garden grow? Now that the weather in California's started to warm, all of the vegetables in mine have finally started to grow! Nothing's quite large enough to pick yet, except for a few nasturtium plants, which are growing like weeds.

When life gives you nasturtium leaves, make nasturtium pesto! I used the traditional ingredients in a basil pesto, but substituted the basil with a big bowl of hand-picked nasturtiums.

See what I topped with this condiment, then make your own version of this fresh pesto.

Farro is the latest ancient grain to make a mainstream comeback, and I've been cooking up a storm with the wheat variety, using it in place of rice to make "farrotto," adding it to soups, and utilizing it as the base for Asian-style vegetable bowls.

My favorite way to employ it during hot weather is with this ingenious seasonal salad by Melissa Clark. Start by toasting farro, until it's nutty and golden brown; toss in parsley, scallions, lemon juice, and cherry tomatoes, for a meatier riff on tabbouleh; then top with crumbled cheese fricos for a crispy, salty finish.

For more substance, I served this salad with a side of grilled shrimp and Italian salsa verde, but you could add other seafood like scallops or lump crabmeat. Or, as Melissa suggested, bits of salumi: "Cubes of pancetta or sopressata would be killer!" she told me. Great — I've got an excuse to make this again sometime soon. Keep reading for the basic recipe.

What could be more gratifying on a sweltering day than a platter of fat and juicy tomatoes, fresh off the vine? I ask that question each year when the season rolls around and, without fail, come up with nothing for an answer.

At this weekend's farmers market, when I spotted heirloom tomatoes by the crateful in a rainbow of colors, I couldn't help but bring several pounds home.

I used my loot — a mixture of green zebras, Cherokees, and yellow brandywines — as the star of a dish so unembellished, I'm not sure I would call it a salad. I sliced the fruits into thin rounds, then drizzled them with high-quality Italian olive oil.

A flaky sea salt helps round out the tomatoes' impossibly sweet flesh; I also added dollops of burrata to cut through the acidity and young leaves of basil to bring out the herbaceousness of the tomatoes. I devoured the dish right away and derived such visceral pleasure from eating it that I guarantee next week I'll be making the salad again. Keep reading to savor this Summer fruit the same way.

Recently I was in need of a seasonal appetizer that would satiate both vegetarians and carnivores alike. After watching an episode of Giada at Home, I decided to try her grilled corn and cheese cakes. Instead of using frozen corn, I substituted fresh corn cut off the cob.

The recipe has mixed reviews, and I was a little worried that the resulting bite wouldn't be embraced by my all-female guests. However, these cakes blew my friends and I away! They were amazing.

The corn flavor is enhanced by spicy pepper Jack cheese, and the panko provides a perfectly crisp crust. Although they are rich, they're not heavy; they are satisfying and filling but still light. These cakes pair perfectly with a glass of sparkling wine! I highly recommend you make this hors d'oeuvre. Get the recipe here.

Fiddleheads — unfurled sprouts of the ostrich fern plant — are one of the Spring forager's most prized picks. They're not the easiest to track down, nor are they the most straightforward when it comes to cooking preparation, as they must be properly cleaned and then blanched before consuming. But all it takes is one taste, and you'll be sold.

It was deep in the rainforests of Taiwan's Hualien province that I had my first bite of the fiddlehead, then not even knowing its name. There, Taiwanese aborigines tossed it with other vegetables in a light stir-fry that revealed the plant's delicately herbaceous quality.

Since then, I've discovered one of my favorite ways to prepare the delicacy is to quickly sauté blanched fiddleheads in a warm salad dressing of cognac, red wine vinegar, and dabs of butter. For my favorite twist on the seasonal specialty, keep reading.

Before Spring sets and Summer is here, I had to try cooking dandelion greens. I've worked with just about every green except these bitter weeds. Thus, I picked up a couple of bunches at the local farmers market and got to work on this creamy dandelion dish.

To prep the tough greens and ensure that they are tender, you must blanch and steam them under a clean dish towel before assembling the gratin. The bitterness of the dandelion greens is cut by the addition of tangy goat cheese, salty parmesan, and garlic-infused cream.

To contrast the creaminess, the greens are topped with panko breadcrumbs, which results in a crunchy crust. This decadent dish is great served with beef or lamb and is just as delicious reheated — making it a new potluck favorite. Give this green gratin a try and keep reading for the recipe.

There's a reason why foodies are so fanatical about ramps; the wild leeks are the first sure sign that Spring has arrived, especially in areas home to a long Winter. But be aware of their short season: the minute ramps arrive, the window on their availability is already beginning to close.

If you're not deterred by garlicky breath, uncooked ramps have a pungency that adds punch to homemade pesto. Or, enjoy them in a mellower state, as I like to do, by sauteing their stalks and greens until translucent, and slowly melding their sweetness into a rich, creamy risotto. The recipe, when you continue reading.