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Heat the oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven until it is hot enough to sizzle an artichoke. Add the artichoke hearts or artichokes, cut sides down, and cook over medium-low heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Turn and sprinkle with the oregano, a pinch of salt and a generous grinding of black pepper. Add the onion and cook, stirring gently, until golden, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, ½ cup water, the potatoes, olives and garlic, stir to blend and bring to a boil. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are very tender and beginning to fall apart, 20 to 25 minutes. Add more water, ¼ cup at a time, if the stew seems dry.

Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Both the olives and the feta are salty, so you may not need more salt. Spoon the stew into deep soup bowls and top with the feta, mint and dill.

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Make a Meal

Serve with a side dish of Twice-Cooked Broccoli Rabe with Red Pepper and Garlic Oil ([>]) or Swiss Chard with Fragrant Garlic and Salt ([>]).

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WINTER VEGETABLE STEW WITH MOROCCAN FLAVORS Vegan

Adapt this hearty stew to what is available in the market. Substitute leeks for onions and add celery or fennel, sweet or white potatoes, green beans, peas, zucchini and/or summer squash. Stagger the addition of vegetables, adding the slow-cooking kinds at first and the quicker-cooking ones toward the end. For this stew, avoid strongly flavored vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and other members of the cabbage family.

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Serves: 4

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups diced (½ inch) onions

2 garlic cloves, grated

1½ teaspoons Moroccan spice blend (ras el hanout; see [>])

Coarse salt

½ teaspoon ground cumin

⅛ teaspoon cayenne

2 cups diced (½ inch) peeled butternut, acorn or other winter squash

1 cup diced (½ inch) carrot

1 cup diced (½ inch) turnip

1 cup diced (½ inch) parsnip

1 cup coarsely chopped peeled fresh tomatoes or canned plum tomatoes with juice

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, including tender stems

1–2 tablespoons diced preserved lemon (see [>]) or 4 fresh lemon wedges

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it is hot enough to sizzle a piece of onion. Add the onions and cook, stirring, over medium-low heat until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, Moroccan spice blend, 1 teaspoon salt, the cumin and cayenne. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the squash, carrot, turnip, parsnip, tomatoes and ½ cup water. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed

Add the cilantro and the preserved lemon, if using. If not, serve the stew with the lemon wedges.

Shortcuts

Look for precut winter squash, sold in many markets in plastic bags. Usually it is butternut squash, which works very well in this recipe. The skin on butternut squash softens considerably when cooked, so you may choose not to peel it.

Substitutions

Omit either the parsnip or the turnip, if desired, and substitute a cut-up large all-purpose potato.

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Make a Meal

Serve over couscous (see [>]), bulgur (see [>]) or quinoa (see [>]) cooked with raisins.

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COCONUT-VEGETABLE CURRY WITH CASHEWS Vegan

Coconut-Vegetable Curry with Cashews ([>]) on jasmine rice

Aromatic, luscious, pretty and filled with complex flavors, this vegetable curry is wildly popular in my cooking classes. Don't be daunted by the list of ingredients to prep. Some can be omitted if your time or patience is short; read the Shortcuts below for hints.

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4 to 6

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 cups diced (½ inch) unpeeled egg-plant (about 8 ounces)

1 can (15–16 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 cups ½-inch cauliflower florets (from ½ small head, cored and thick stems removed)

1 cup diced (½ inch) onion

1 cup diced (½ inch) carrot

1 cup ½-inch lengths green beans (about 4 ounces)

2–3 teaspoons minced seeded jalapeño or serrano pepper,