10,000 carob recipes

Homemade herb yogurt cheese strained with thyme, basil, and pepper. A low-fat spread for crackers or baked potatoes that keeps for two weeks in the fridge.

Pan-seared whole trout cooked open-faced in brown butter, topped with a lemon white wine sauce with shallots, garlic, chervil, chives, and thyme.

French-style steak salad with grilled flank steak, lemon-sauteed mushrooms, and red onion marinated in a herb vinaigrette with chervil, basil, and thyme.

Pureed fresh vegetable soup simmers any chopped vegetables with thyme, then blends smooth with Parmesan and butter. A versatile template for cleaning out the crisper drawer.

Creamy garlic soup simmers a whole bulb of garlic with herbs, then thickens with an egg yolk and olive oil liaison for rich, velvety body. Served with toasted baguette rounds and grated Swiss cheese.

Saffron garlic potato soup: a Provencal-style aigo bouido with a whole head of garlic, fresh herbs, saffron threads, and diced potatoes. Served over French bread with melted parmesan.

Olive oil marinated mushrooms simmer button mushrooms in herbed wine vinegar with thyme, garlic, and brandy. A make-ahead antipasto that gets better after a night in the fridge.

Roasted duck with a green peppercorn and star anise sauce made from homemade duck giblet broth. The duck is salt-poached first, then roasted until crispy. A refined French-inspired main course.

Roasted garlic bulbs with rosemary and bay leaves served alongside a spiced goat cheese spread with coriander and fresh chili. A stunning British-style appetizer.

Grilled portobello mushroom sandwich with balsamic-shallot roasted red pepper, melted Monterey Jack, and garlic-thyme aioli on a toasted onion roll. The vegetarian burger that beats any beef one.

Broiled swordfish steaks topped with a lemon, oregano, and sweet red pepper sauce. Cooked over white wine for a bright, Mediterranean-style seafood dinner.

Turkey tomato soup with leftover cooked turkey, fresh tomatoes, bay leaf, and thyme in a simple chicken broth base. A homey, weeknight-fast way to turn Thanksgiving leftovers into a bright bowl.

Garden ratatouille baked with zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, mushrooms, and Parmesan. Sauteed vegetables simmered in pasta sauce, then baked until bubbly and golden.

Roasted vegetable sandwich on French baguette with eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, and red pepper. Lemon-basil yogurt spread, peppery watercress. Vegetarian lunch.

Thai-style eggplant stir-fry with chicken or tofu, fresh basil, red chili peppers, and yellow bean sauce. A fast, fragrant weeknight dish ready in under 35 minutes.

An old-fashioned Mexican beef chili: diced beef braised with garlic, cumin and oregano in a smooth purée of dried chiles, served with a border of fried refried beans. Real chiles, real depth.