Vegan

This is one of my favorite greens. It has an assertive flavor that is bitter, nutty, sweet, and green. The stems have a great texture that’s both juicy and chewy. It calls out for garlic and strong flavorings such as hot pepper, anchovies, and vinegar.

Leafy greens include chard, kale, broccoli rabe, collards, spinach, as well as the tops of beets and turnips. There are many varieties of each of these, rainbow chard, Swiss chard, red Russian kale, laciniato kale, and Bloomsdale spinach just to name a few. Select greens that are vibrant, perky, and fresh looking. Avoid buying them in bags already washed and prepared. Whatever time is saved with these convenience items is completely off set by the greater flavor and freshness of locally harvested greens. Except for chard, the stems of leafy greens should be stripped off and discarded. To do this, hold on to the stem and then grasp the bottom of the leaf and pull it towards the leaf tip while pulling away on the stem with the other hand. The leaves may also be cut from the stem with a small sharp paring knife. The wide ribs of chard leaves can be saved and cooked; they do have a longer cooking time than the leaves, and they need to be separated and cooked apart or ahead. Wash all greens well in abundant water and drain. Chicories are the family that includes radicchio, escarole, Belgian endive, and frisée. These greens are pleasantly bitter—and not always green: radicchio is usually red, and Belgian endive is a pale, pale yellow green. The hearts of leafy varieties such as escarole and curly endive are almost white. All chicories make delightful salads, and some are sturdy enough to braise and grill. They all should have brightly colored, fresh outer leaves. The headed varieties such as Belgian endive and some varieties of radicchio should be firm and tightly closed. To prepare chicories for salads, tear off and discard the outer dark leaves, which can be tough and bitter. Separate the leaves and wash and dry them well. Belgian endive will brown very quickly and should be trimmed and cut just before being used. To prepare chicories for braising and grilling, the tightly headed varieties can be cut in half or in wedges.

Fennel is among the most versatile of vegetables: it’s good whether it’s eaten raw in salads, or cooked in any number of ways, and I use it as an aromatic vegetable, often instead of celery, in mirepoix (diced carrot, onion, and celery) and other preparations. Cultivated fennel forms a compact, pale white bulb that is topped with fibrous green stalks and feathery leaves. The flavor is reminiscent of anise or licorice. Look for firm, undamaged bulbs that have no signs of drying or shrinking. The fronds should be fresh and vibrant. To prepare fennel, trim away the darker fibrous stalks and bottom end, and remove any outer layers that are tough or blemished. Fennel should be cut close to the time it is needed, as it will oxidize and brown over time. Cover cut fennel with a damp cloth to protect it. Many recipes ask you to remove the core, but I don’t find it necessary; on the contrary, I like the taste of the core and find it quite tender. The feathery dark green fennel leaves can be stripped from the stalks and chopped to use as a flavorful garnish. Wild fennel is an uncultivated variety of fennel that does not produce a bulb. Its leaves, flowers, pollen, and seeds are all very flavorful and useful in stuffings, marinades, garnishes, and sauces. If it grows in your region, forage for it in the wild.

Caponata is a Sicilian recipe for a sweet-and-sour vegetable stew made with eggplant and tomatoes. It is good served cold as an appetizer or as part of an antipasto plate, or hot, as a side dish with roasted meats or fish.

If you’ve never had homemade sauerkraut before, it will be a revelation. And it is easy to make at home: the longer it ferments, the softer the texture and the more intense the flavor. The rule-of-thumb ratio is 1 1/2 teaspoons salt per pound of cabbage.

The most common type of cabbage is round, smooth-leafed green cabbage, but there are many other varieties to choose from. Smooth-leafed cabbage can be green or red, round, conical, or even flat. Each has a different flavor and texture. I find red cabbage to be a bit more pungent in flavor and to have thicker, tougher leaves. Savoy cabbage is round with thin, light yellow-green, crinkled leaves; it is my favorite for braising. Napa cabbage is an elongated light green cabbage with very tender leaves that have broad, light-colored ribs. This cabbage cooks quickly and makes a great coleslaw. Other cabbages include Asian varieties, bok choy, tat-soi, and mizuna to name a few. These are loose-leaved and dark green in color and are best suited for cooking (except young mizuna, which is an excellent salad green). When choosing cabbages, select brightly colored, compact heads. They should be firm and feel heavy. Loose-leafed cabbages should not be yellowing or wilted. Remove and discard any damaged or wilting outer leaves. Remove the core from headed cabbage. This is unnecessary for the loose-leafed varieties. Braised savoy cabbage is a versatile and stellar winter dish, served either by itself or as an accompaniment to braised duck or chicken or fried sausage.

Long-cooked broccoli is cooked until it resembles a coarse purée. It’s delicious on croutons, tossed with pasta, or as a side dish.

Homemade hummus is very easy to make. If you don’t have any tahini (a paste made from sesame seeds), a chickpea purée without it is still quite delicious. Just add more olive oil.

A mixture of fresh green beans (haricots verts, yellow wax beans, romano beans, or Blue Lake beans) makes this dish both beautiful and tasty. Each variety cooks in a different amount of time, so cook them separately. The same water can be used. Cook yellow wax beans first, to preserve their color. A variety of shell beans can be used as well, but once again, be sure to cook different beans separately.

The combination of artichokes, green garlic, colorful spring onions, and flowering thyme makes a delectable braise.

Green beans are beans harvested while the pods are still tender and edible and the seeds within are immature. There are many, many delicious varieties: Blue Lake and Kentucky Wonder beans, wide romano beans (both yellow and green), yellow wax beans, purple and cream-colored Dragon’s Tongue beans, and the tender little French beans called haricots verts, to name only a few. Choose fresh, bright, crisp beans. They should snap quickly when bent and should have only the tiniest of seeds inside. Use the beans quickly to enjoy their best flavor. To prepare them, give them a rinse, and then snap or cut off Large flat romano beans are one of the summer vegetables I most look forward to for their irresistible beany flavor. Don’t hold back on the marjoram; the fresh pungent flavor of the herb is a wonderful complement to the beans.

I love a dinner of make-it-yourself sushi. I put a large bowl of sushi rice on the table with squares of toasted nori, thinly sliced fish and vegetables, and some pickled ginger and wasabi. Everyone rolls his own and eats them out of hand.

Farro is a delicious, nutty-tasting whole grain with a flavor like a cross between wheat berries and barley. It cooks quickly (almost as fast as rice) and can be served boiled, plain, or marinated in a salad; or it can be prepared in the same way as a risotto. I usually cook 1 1/2 cups of farro at a time. I serve half of it warm as a side dish and the other half the next day as a salad.

This is not a particularly traditional version of this recipe, but if you have ripe delicious tomatoes, it makes a beautiful piquant summer soup—a sort of liquid salad—that’s worth all the grating, pounding, and dicing. For a light summer meal, add a few shrimp—or other fish or shellfish—to the soup.

Tabbouleh is a Lebanese salad made with bulgur wheat, chopped herbs, and tomatoes. It is a spectacular salad, green and fresh, with more herbs than grain. Bulgur wheat is made from wheat grains that have been parboiled or steamed and then dried. It requires only quick cooking or soaking.

This makes an exciting salad for the middle of winter.

French green lentils or black Beluga lentils are the best varieties to use for lentil salads because they have lots of flavor and they hold their shape when cooked.