Thyme leaves recipes

Roasted red pepper mustard blends fire-charred bell peppers with mustard seeds, sherry, red wine, and honey. A complex artisan condiment for sandwiches, charcuterie boards, and grilled meats.

Linguine with Brussels sprouts barigoule braises savoy cabbage, leeks, and sprouts in wine, lemon, and thyme, then tosses the whole thing with linguine. A Provencal vegetarian pasta.

Competition-style Texas chili with 4 pounds of cubed round steak, 14 spices including curry and cinnamon, green chiles, and a secret weapon: milk chocolate melted in at the end.

Stuffed flank steak with marsala mushroom sauce: Italian braciole-style pinwheel rolled around pork, pancetta, spinach, currants, and provolone, then finished in a porcini-marsala sauce.

A no-bean Southern chili built on three cuts of beef, beer, and an avalanche of spices including cardamom, saffron, ginger, and a whole cinnamon stick. Bold, complex, simmered for hours.

Sauteed rabbit loin brined then braised with fennel, balsamic vinegar, and white wine, finished with a vibrant salsa verde of parsley, capers, spinach, and fennel fronds.

Mushroom tart with caramelized mixed mushrooms, thyme cream, Parmigiano, and crumbled blue cheese in a flaky puff pastry shell. A showstopper appetizer or light dinner with deep earthy flavor.

Hot sausage and mirliton casserole is the New Orleans Creole classic: chayote squash baked with Italian sausage, bell peppers, bread cubes, mozzarella, and fontina. A holiday-table staple.

Creole or red jambalaya includes tomatoes while the Cajun style does not. Either way, it is a spicy and robust dish that epitomizes the soul of New Orleans. Here's my recipe for Cajun style jambalaya.

Hy's Georgia chain-gang chili: a three-meat marathon chili with burgundy-marinated beef, ground pork, and poached chicken, simmered three hours with three kinds of chiles, beer, and Sauterne.

This modern meatloaf stays moist using mushrooms to beef up the moisture level.

Vegan shepherd's pie style casserole with a mashed potato crust, savory tofu filling, mushrooms, corn and spinach, smothered in homemade brown gravy. Hearty plant-based comfort food.

Louisiana seafood gumbo loaded with shrimp, crab, and oysters in a dark roux broth. Okra and the holy trinity thicken this Cajun classic, finished with file powder and ladled over rice.

Lentil pasta soup with orzo, Italian green beans, tomatoes, and four dried herbs in a chicken broth base. A hearty one-pot soup finished with vinegar and croutons.

A lush Cajun-style cream sauce loaded with shrimp, crawfish tails, and oysters simmered in white wine, sour cream, and fresh herbs. Serve over pasta or rice for a Louisiana-worthy feast.

Open-faced grilled vegetable sandwich on walnut bread with hummus-tahini spread, shallot-Dijon vinaigrette, portobello, fennel, zucchini, and bell peppers. Vegetarian Mediterranean.