Soup in summer? Sweet corn and rich cream get a bright burst from the acid in fresh summer tomatoes and a finishing splash of sherry vinegar. The corn’s starches reduce the need for lots of cream, keeping this soup a nice light, summer weight.

My perfect wing has crispy skin, a tangy-sweet, sticky glaze and tender, juicy meat but I don’t always feel like going through the effort and mess of deep frying. Get ready for easy, no mess, crisp-skinned wings right from the oven with the sweetness of honey, bright ginger and the depth of soy sauce. Finger licking and wet naps required, just the way a good wing should.

Turnips - think potatoes with an extra punch of flavor - make these latkes so delicious that you’ll be serving them all the time as a side for braised pot roast, as an hors d’oeuvre topped with smoked salmon, dill and capers, or used as crispy, creamy, hot croutons atop a Caesar salad.

Crisp endive leaves hold a rich blend of roasted squash, sweet/tart cranberries and bright candied ginger. Pepitas brittle with a touch of Cayenne pepper adds the perfect crunch and a little heat to balance out the sweetness in this vegetarian hors d’oeuvre.

Crisp endive and peppery arugula receive sweet balance from a creamy balsamic vinaigrette, sweet/tart cranberries, the bright bite of candied ginger and nutty, toasted pepitas for a little crunch. This salad is as beautiful as it is delicious and a perfect hearty-yet-light-tasting winter lunch.

Happy holidays! Despite the changes to many plans this year the food I want to eat remains the same: lighter and light-tasting work-from-home lunches followed by small bites. Here's a roasted squash, dried cranberry and endive salad that transforms into an elegant hors d'oeuvre.

Beyond being beautiful, briny squid ink pasta balances rich Alfredo sauce with the sweet, vegetal notes of fresh pumpkin purée in this striking fall plate.

Adding hearty pumpkin to the starchy potatoes makes this fish chowder a little richer and the perfect way to use fall’s farm-fresh, seasonal squash. It’s the perfect dish to warm you from the inside on a crisp fall day.

This salad with earthy lamb, dill and broccoli, and sharp feta, is bold, herbaceous and complex, the perfect companion for the rich, round flavors of the potato and pasta salads at your summer cookout. It is fabulously fresh for summer and hearty enough for a fall dinner when Brassicas like broccoli are really shining at the farm market.

This salad is so good it deserves hyperbole. Here goes. In the summertime, when the corn is high this simple salad celebrates tomatoes at their beautifully-balanced, sugary, acidic best. Sweet tomatoes, sharp, salty feta and the bright, earthy herb and red wine vinaigrette combine three big personalities on one stage and share the limelight in perfect balance delivering one delicious experience.

Tarragon, the paragon herb of light and fresh, pairs perfectly with delicately poached chicken for a not-too-heavy chicken salad perfect over crisp greens on in a sandwich. This recipe is a perfect way to reinvent leftover wine and herb poached chicken which means most of the work is done ahead of time.

Smashing cucumbers creates extra surface area to hold the vinaigrette. This dish is traditionally served as a respite for the palate amidst often spicy Szechuan cuisine. I think it’s wonderful with meats hot off the grill or alongside cold peanut noodles on a particularly sultry summer night.

This cooked egg mayonnaise balances rich egg yolk and oil with the sharp, savory flavors of capers, cornichons and fresh herbs. The comforting and complex sauce is perfect served over asparagus, roasted waxy potatoes, with fish or cold chicken served outdoors.

Moist, lemony, rich, with a little crunch from the poppyseeds and cornstarch. The fennel honey butter - just melt them together - is the real star, transforming the flavor of the lemon and poppyseeds. It's just the right amount of everything and not too much of anything.

Bright red Radicchio, soft green and white Belgian Endive and tender leaf lettuce combine for a colorful salad whose bitter greens are balanced by rich walnuts, blue cheese and a bright Champagne vinaigrette. The perfect show-stopping beginning to a winter holiday meal.

Sweet, butternut squash, rich cheddar cheese and floral dried oregano topped with crisp Panko combine in a simple, delicious casserole that is simultaneously decadent and light-tasting.

Salty pancetta, sweet-tart apples and just a touch of fresh, grassy parsley combine to give this simple and quick side a flavor that is much greater than the sum of its parts. GoldRush, a cross with Golden Delicious, may have the same smooth, wax-free appearance of it’s parent, but the flesh inside is wonderfully crisp, with beautifully balanced sweetness and acidity and complex spiced notes.

Fresh greens and earthy, funky mushrooms are folded into eggs and then slathered with a rich, soy sauce gravy for this farmers market-inspired take on a Chinese takeout classic.

Finely sliced asparagus and roughly chopped herbs keep this savory and fresh tasting. With the complete proteins in quinoa, its the perfect take-to-work lunch or make-ahead light spring supper. Cook the quinoa ahead of time and the rest of the salad is done in 10-15 minutes!

This Mediterranean-inspired chicken, lemon and egg soup is both rich and bright-tasting. It’s hearty enough to enjoy for lunch after a morning spent playing out in the snow, while the lemon and spinach will find you still enjoying it as the first daffodils push out of the ground.