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3 Grate the ginger onto a cutting board, using a ginger grater or a Microplane. Set aside ½ teaspoon of the grated ginger. Gather the rest of the grated ginger and place it in a mound in the middle of a double thickness of paper towel. Pick up the corners of the paper towel and gently press the grated ginger over a small bowl to extract the juice; you should have about 2 tablespoons. Pour the ginger juice into a large bowl and add the lemon juice, mustard, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly until the dressing is emulsified.

4 Drain the peas in a strainer and run them under cold tap water to cool; you should have about 3 cups cooked field peas. Shake the strainer to get rid of excess water. Add the peas and the reserved grated ginger to the dressing, and toss to coat. Add the beets and scallions, and toss gently. Season to taste with salt and the pepper. (Covered, the salad will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.)

RED RICE SALAD

serves 4 • TIME: 30 minutes

Tomatoes, rice, and a nice dose of smoky sausage combine to make the soulful classic southern side dish called red rice, often served alongside fried fish and hush puppies and on barbecue buffets. Last summer, finding ourselves with a surplus of cooked white rice and some gorgeous tomatoes, we decided to chill out the dish we know and love, and to place it more in a cold salad frame of mind. But we insisted on preserving the wonderful sour-and-sweet tomato inflection of the original.

The method we settled on is super-easy and squeezes every drop of flavor from the tomatoes we have on hand—even generic supermarket tomatoes come out tasting great in this recipe. Tomato water, from the seed cavities, is blended into a basic Dijon mustard vinaigrette, which lightly glazes the rice. If possible, make this a day or half a day in advance so the rice really absorbs the flavor of the tomatoes, as well as the basil and chives that season this salad bright.

1 pound plum or vine-ripened tomatoes (about 5 plum tomatoes), peeled

3 cups cooked white rice (from 1 cup uncooked)

¼ cup chopped fresh chives

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 Set a strainer over a small bowl. Core the tomatoes, cut them in half widthwise, and using your pinkie finger, tease the seeds out of the cavities, letting them drop into the strainer. Tap the rim of the strainer against your palm for 30 seconds, until most of the flavorful gel clinging to the seeds dissolves and drips into the bowl. Cover and refrigerate the tomato water; you should have about ¼ cup. Discard the seeds.

2 Chop the tomatoes into ½-inch dice, and toss them in a bowl with the rice, chives, and basil. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the flavors to meld in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or for up to 24 hours.

3 In a small bowl, whisk together the reserved tomato water, mustard, vinegar, and salt. Add the olive oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly until the ingredients are thoroughly emulsified. Toss the dressing gently with the rice mixture. Serve cold or at room temperature. (Covered, the salad will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.)

SQUASH HALF-MOONS WITH BUTTER, SESAME, AND SALT

Home cooks generally—and food writers in their bunny slippers in particular—seem to love dreaming up new ways to make the most familiar vegetables (potatoes, green beans, carrots, to name a few) seem less dreary and more unique.

We’ve focused much of our creative energy recently on making our hot side dishes sing, and not just for the challenge it presents, but to give ourselves the utmost flexibility when it comes to composing meals during a typical week. A simple hot side dish like Lemon-Glazed Sweet Potatoes, works wonderfully alongside any roasted protein, but a side like Pimento-Cheese Potato Gratin, is rich enough and dazzling enough as a meal in itself, when served with a fresh salad of lettuces or spinach.

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