Pesto

Grilled zucchini and garlic get puréed with toasted sunflower seeds, fresh basil, and Parmesan to make a rich, mellow pesto.

This intensely flavorful pesto recipe works great with pasta, sandwiches, summer vegetable medleys, and tomato-mozzarella stacks. It can also be made with other tender summer herbs such as cilantro, mint, or parsley in addition to or in place of the basil.

Wispy fennel fronds from the tops of fresh fennel bulbs are ground with fennel seeds to make a flavorful pesto.

When you want a luscious homemade pesto long before basil comes into season, turn to broccoli. Here, cooked broccoli is blended with fresh mint and parsley for a bright, springtime take on the pasta sauce.

For a change of pace, try this pasta dish with a Southwestern sensibility. You can also use the cilantro pesto as a condiment for grilled vegetables or thin it with yogurt and serve with baked tortilla crisps.