Winter is the time for leafy greens -- arugola and salads, time for kale, cabbages, and their relatives, time for artichokes, time for squash, and time for everything else that stands up well to cooler temperatures. Earthier fare than what one finds in summer, perhaps, but delicious and tremendously satisfying when properly prepared.
I associate winter with Kale, a long-leaved back member of the cabbage family, because though one can find kale at other times of year, it is only really good in winter, when the frost adds a distinctive, invigorating zing to the flavor of the leaves.
Kale has the disadvantage of being limited to the really cold months. Artichokes, on the other hand, appear in November and continue to the beginning of Spring. They're quite versatile, and take very well to being stuffed; the pancetta here nicely balances the astringency of the artichokes.
Potatoes do a remarkably good job of complementing the bitterness of artichokes, and this is a standard winter dish in our home. The recipe is from my wife's grandmother.
Broiled Fennel, or Finocchi Gratinati: These are the next step up from Elisabetta's grandmother's recipe, simple sautéed fennel smothered with béchamel sauce and slipped into the oven (or run under a broiler). It's a standard recipe; in addition to working well as a side dish, it is also a pleasing winter first course dish.
Radicchio Rosso is one of the signature vegetables of the Veneto, and also one of the most distinctive, with white-ribbed wine-red leaves. It has a pleasing bitterness to it, and is about the only leafy vegetable I know of that will profit from being cooked over the coals. You will want more.
North American Broccoli Raab are, I have been told, less bitter than what's grown in Italy, and you therefore may want to forgo removing all the cooking liquid you can from them after you wilt them. This dish marks the beginning of the Neapolitan Christmas Eve dinner, but there's no reason to limit your enjoyment of it to the holidays.
Spinach, sautéed with garlic: this is one of the standard Italian winter vegetables, and it's also very nice drizzled with the drippings from a roast or stew.
A sformato, or flan, is firmer than a soufflé, and easier to make as well. And this is one of the most consistent sformati: the recipe always works, and always tastes great. Who could ask for more?
Though potatoes are generally considered a starch, winter would be a slow season indeed without them. This is quite rich, and will certainly keep the cold at bay.
This squash is a classic Venetian side dish; the sweet-and-sour combination brings to mind another Venetian classic, Sogliole in Saòr, fried sole with a sweet-and-sour sauce. The squash must be of good quality, and if you want it zestier you can increase the vinegar to a cup.
