Nut Free

Asparagus stands up well to being roasted at high heat or on the grill. Extreme heat helps caramelize the veggie and bring out its sweetness. The asparagus is meant to be served al dente—please don’t overcook it, as a little toothsome bite is welcome here. Make sure you use whole-grain mustard for its great texture.

Marinated peppers paired with potatoes is another star addition to an antipasto platter, and is equally brilliant served alongside The Spaniard (page 14). This dish will hold for up to three days in the refrigerator and tends to taste better when the potatoes have time to absorb the marinade. If you do prepare it in advance, make sure you bring it up to room temperature before serving.

Marinated button mushrooms are typically included in an antipasto platter, but they make a great solo starter too. Use your favorite combination of wild or domestic mushrooms and, for a heartier dish, try swapping the white wine for red. These mushrooms will last for up to a week in the refrigerator.

This vinaigrette is fabulous spooned over roasted veggies and grilled eggplant.

This salad is a permanent feature on our menu. It starts with simple greens, then is topped with a selection of market vegetables, three balls, and the sauce of your choice. When topped with veggie balls, it’s a serious vegetarian meal, but you can also top it with any ball you’d like (heat up your balls in the microwave for a minute or two to take the chill off). Ladle on your favorite warm sauce in place of the expected dressing.

Kabocha is a Japanese winter squash or pumpkin that has a slight sweetness that we accentuate by simmering it with sugar. You can substitute peeled butternut squash if your market doesn’t carry kabocha, but look for it. These days it’s often in bins at the bottom of supermarket produce aisles.

Sherry vinegar is another gift to the pantry from Spain that we keep alongside our saffron and olive oils.

While we love the snap of quickly blanched green beans, we also love this preparation, which leaves the green beans almost meltingly tender. They’re ready when they are completely soft and cooked through, and all the delicious seasonings have been absorbed by the beans. They are perfect alongside grilled or baked fish, or with our Veal Meatballs (page 48).

Creamed spinach is something we crave. Everyone else seems to love it too, because it’s soulfully satisfying. Another great thing about creamed spinach is that its high fat content allows it to freeze extremely well. Go ahead and make a double batch (and see if the other half actually makes it into the freezer). Swiss chard works just as well as spinach in this recipe. While this side is incredible on its own, wait until you try it with Chicken Meatballs (page 12).

French green lentils, or lentilles du Puy, are smaller and more delicate in flavor than the usual supermarket variety. They require only fifteen minutes of cooking too, which makes them a handy pantry staple. A drizzle of crème fraîche and heavy cream sends this dish over the top.

If prepared with a bit of inspiration, cauliflower can taste complex and flavorful. As with all recipes, the simpler the preparation, the more important attention to detail becomes, and with this dish, it’s all about the high-heat roasting. Don’t be afraid of a few burned edges. Cauliflower is low in sugar, so roast it hot and fast so that it browns well but keeps some of its wonderful crunchy texture. Make sure you don’t overcrowd the roasting pan, as this will cause the vegetable to steam instead of roast. You’ll love this alongside our Bouillabaisse Balls (page 23).

These cookies pack a triple punch with ground ginger, freshly grated ginger, and crystallized ginger. A touch of honey tempers the bite and adds richness. We love to build these into sandwiches with Cinnamon Ice Cream (page 143) in the winter or Plum Sorbet (page 144) in the summer.

When you think of a macaroon, you think of a high, rounded cookie. Think again. At the shop we flatten them to accommodate ice cream in the middle. We love the toasted coconut flavor of the cookies, or for a nostalgic twist, try almond extract instead of the vanilla. Paired with Chocolate Ice Cream (page 137), it’s practically an Almond Joy!

Collard greens are sweet and yummy, but you need to cook them all the way through or they can be bitter and tough. Cooking them in salted water will speed up the process so you can get these greens into your mouth as soon as possible. A little splash of vinegar at the end of cooking helps brighten the flavor. We use these as a bed for the Bolognese Balls (page 6), but they work well with pretty much any meatball in the book.

Green leafy vegetables like kale are extremely healthy, and kale is one of our favorites. The key to this recipe is cooking the anchovies and garlic until they are falling apart, almost melting into the dish. If you have an aversion to anchovies, feel free to leave them out. Just add a pinch more salt. Serve alongside Mediterranean Lamb Balls (page 24)

There’s a reason chocolate chip cookies are the classic American favorite. We bet some of these never even meet a cooling rack, let alone a cookie jar. We like ’em semisoft and paired with vanilla ice cream—the most popular combo at the Shop by far. Try them with our fresh Mint Ice Cream (page 142) for a refreshing sandwich twist.

Complete comfort food . . . Layer these with our Cinnamon Ice Cream (page 143) and savor the spicy-sweet goodness of this sandwich. Try using freshly grated nutmeg instead of ground—you’ll be surprised by the difference.