12 ripe bread recipes

Savory wild rice dinner muffins with Parmesan, Italian seasoning, and garlic. A quick bread side dish that pairs with soups, stews, and roasted meats.

Potato garbanzo gnocchi: instant mashed potatoes bound with chickpea and rice flour, deep fried into crispy fritter-style dumplings with garlic and cayenne. Naturally vegan, ready in 15 minutes.

The combination of cashews, lentils, brown rice and other spices was delicious. Right balance of the flavor and the texture, we used cherry tomatoes instead, that's what we had on hand. It's a tasty yet nutritious meal.

Chinese shrimp balls (pai chiao hsia chiu) rolled in stale bread cubes and double-fried until shatteringly crisp. Served with Sichuan pepper-salt dip. 30 pieces.

Individual Thai-style pizzas with peanut sauce, Monterey Jack, bean sprouts, shrimp, and green onion on Italian bread shells. A Thai-Italian fusion appetizer in 30 minutes.

Ground pork burgers loaded with ginger, garlic, soy sauce, chile oil, and fresh cilantro, seared in a screaming hot skillet. Inspired by San Francisco's China Moon Cafe, served on crusty baguette with sharp Dijon mustard.

Classic Italian balsamic bruschetta with ripe Roma tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic and Parmesan on toasted French bread. Essential summer appetizer for tomato season.

Tomato basil bacon salad: juicy beefsteak tomatoes piled high with fresh mozzarella, crispy bacon, garlic-toasted bread cubes, and basil oil. A BLT-caprese mashup built for ripe summer tomatoes.

Overnight breakfast strata layered with prosciutto, basil torta cheese, arugula, ripe tomatoes, and pesto-soaked French bread. Assemble the night before, bake until puffy and golden, and serve a crowd-worthy brunch.

Papaya lamb salad pairs stir-fried lamb chops with sweet ripe papaya, roma tomatoes, bean sprouts, and warm rice for a tropical-meets-Asian main-course salad. Served with lemon wedges and crusty bread.

Spinach dip in a bread bowl with cream cheese, water chestnuts, nutmeg, and cayenne. Hollow out a round loaf, fill it up, and rip bread to scoop.

Three-cheese calzones stuffed with ricotta, provolone, and fontina plus prosciutto, olives, pepperoncini, and sundried tomatoes. Baked golden in bread-dough crescents, equally good piping hot or packed cold for a picnic.