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Kitchen Note: If you don’t have Chinese black vinegar on hand, you can come reasonably close to it with a mixture of one part soy sauce, one part Worestershire sauce, and one part rice vinegar.

Sautéed Collard Greens

Serves 4

Most collard-green recipes call for very slow cooking of the greens. This recipe speeds up the process, and the result is delicious.

2 pounds collard greens, cut into 1-inch ribbons (about 24 cups lightly packed; remove and discard tough stems)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 shallot, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (artisanal apple cider vinegar is recommended), or to taste

1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the collards to the boiling water and cook until the leaves are tender, about 15 minutes.

2 Drain in a colander, pressing out the excess liquid with the back of a spoon.

3 Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, shallot, and collards, and sauté until the collards are heated through and the garlic and shallot are transparent, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the vinegar. Serve hot.

Crispy Kale Chips

Serves 1–4

Potato chips, be gone! Roasted kale is so delicious that you never need to turn to them again for a hit of crisp and salt. My son introduced me to this delicacy, but he learned to make it in a cast-iron frying pan over a hot wood fire outdoors. It took me a while to figure out this version, which is faster, more suited to the average lifestyle, and so good it will make kale lovers out of the most picky eaters. This is more appropriate as a snack or hors d’oeuvre than a side dish because of the high volume of the pieces.

1 bunch curly kale, chopped into 1-inch pieces (remove and discard tough stems)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

Coarse sea salt or kosher salt

1 Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2 Measure the kale and transfer it to a large bowl. For every 4 cups firmly packed leaves, add 1 tablespoon oil. Mix well with your hands to make sure the leaves are evenly coated. Spread in a single layer on a large sheet pan.

3 Roast for about 10 minutes, until the curly tips of the leaves are darkened and the interior of the leaves are a bright green. The leaves should be mostly crunchy but not blackened. Toss with salt and serve.

Kitchen Note: Although any salt can be used to add the appropriate flavor, salt in larger flakes is more pleasing in texture.

Winter is the time of promise because there is so little to do — or because you can now and then permit yourself the luxury of thinking so.

— Stanley Crawford

Crisp Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes

Serves 4

Roasting brings out the natural sweet flavor of these often under-appreciated tubers. This is probably the very best way to prepare them. Peeling is optional, but I prefer it. If you decide to peel, buy a bit extra (2 pounds should do it), use a sharp paring knife, and don’t worry about paring away the small, hard-to-peel knobs.

1–2 pounds Jerusalem artichokes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or any nut oil

Coarse sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Preheat the oven to 500°F. Lightly oil a half sheet pan (preferred) or large shallow roasting pan.

2 Peel the artichokes or scrub them well. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Mound on the sheet pan, drizzle with the oil, and toss gently to coat. Arrange in a single layer on the pan.

3 Roast for about 15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally for even cooking, until the vegetables are tender and well browned. Shake the pan more frequently toward the end of the roasting time, as they will go from well browned to burned rather quickly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve at once.

Oven-Braised Leeks

Serves 4

As a member of the Onion family, leeks are prized for their delicate flavor and their affinity for cream and potatoes. But they are far too infrequently served on their own as the delicious vegetable they are.

8 small to medium leeks, trimmed, tender