• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

4 Just before serving, toss the greens with about ¼ cup of the vinaigrette in a large salad bowl. Add the roasted vegetables and another ¼ cup of the dressing and toss again. Season with salt and pepper. Serve at once, passing the remaining vinaigrette at the table.

Kitchen Note: When roasting root vegetables, it is important to cut all the vegetables to the same size. I prefer ½-inch cubes.

Beets in Sour Cream

Serves 4

Four ingredients, plus salt and pepper. Nothing could be simpler. If you don’t have a shallot on hand, substitute a few tablespoons of finely chopped red onion.

1½ pounds beets

1 shallot, minced

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, or more to taste

1 cup sour cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2 Wrap the beets individually in aluminum foil. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes, until fork-tender. Unwrap and let them cool.

3 Peel the beets and cut into small cubes. Transfer to a bowl with the shallot. Mix in the vinegar and sour cream. Season generously with salt and pepper.

4 Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 8 hours before serving.

Kitchen Note: If you prefer, you can boil the beets instead of roasting them. Put the beets in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, and boil gently until the beets are fork-tender, about 40 minutes. Drain, let cool, and peel. (Boiled beets must be peeled. Roasted beets do not require peeling.)

Vegetable Art

In the winter, there is time for wasting time. In ancient times, our ancestors practically hibernated, spending long days in bed, getting up occasionally to stoke the stove, consume a little bread, and then return to bed. How do we spend the winter? Many people troll the Internet. If you go to YouTube and look for videos of vegetable art, you will see some amazing work. Better than hibernating.

Beet and Napa Cabbage Salad with Goat Cheese

Serves 6–8

Napa cabbage is more tender than green cabbage, so it makes an excellent ingredient for a fresh salad. In this case, the cabbage provides a bed for the roasted beets, a role that might be played by spinach or lettuce in warmer months. The salad is dressed with a vinaigrette flavored by orange juice and zest and topped with goat cheese, resulting in flavors that are greater than the sum of its parts.

4 medium beets

¼–½ head napa or Chinese cabbage, thinly sliced (6–8 cups)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Orange Vinaigrette (page 87)

4 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (chèvre), crumbled

1 Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2 Wrap the beets individually in aluminum foil. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes, until fork-tender. Remove them from the oven and let cool. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel and slice into matchsticks.

3 Transfer the cabbage to a large platter. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss to mix. Add about three-quarters of the dressing and toss to coat. Taste and season with salt, pepper, or vinegar as needed. Spread out the cabbage to form a bed for the beets.

4 Arrange the beets on top of the cabbage. Top with crumbled goat cheese. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad and serve.

Kitchen Note: If you prefer, you can boil the beets instead of roasting them. Put the beets in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, and boil gently until the beets are fork-tender, about 40 minutes. Drain, cool, and peel. (Boiled beets must be peeled. Roasted beets do not require peeling.)

Wilted Cabbage Salad, Italian Style

Serves 6

A high-quality vinegar makes all the difference in a recipe this simple.

4 ounces pancetta, finely chopped

1 small head green or savoy cabbage, thinly sliced or shredded (6–8 cups)

¼ cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until somewhat browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the cabbage and toss until well coated with fat. Add the vinegar