Side

Marinated button mushrooms are typically included in an antipasto platter, but they make a great solo starter too. Use your favorite combination of wild or domestic mushrooms and, for a heartier dish, try swapping the white wine for red. These mushrooms will last for up to a week in the refrigerator.

While braising may be a favorite cold weather cooking technique, we often braise with spring and summer vegetables. We tend to prefer most braised greens fully cooked, so don’t be afraid to overblanch these greens. The key to this dish is taking the time to cook the chard with the pesto so that the greens absorb all of the flavor. We like to pair this with Bunny Balls (page 50).

This jewel of a salad is the prettiest way to welcome in the cooler months. We use the firm fuyu persimmons, which have a crunch similar to that of apples. The pomegranate seeds add a gorgeous touch and a resounding sweet and tart pop of flavor.

People can be, well, persnickety, about parsnips. We think they are the unsung heroes of the veggie bin: We know them to be sweet like carrots but also have a wonderful, earthy flavor. The ground coriander used here adds an evocative fragrance, and brown sugar helps to enhance the parsnips’ natural sweetness.

This salad is a permanent feature on our menu. It starts with simple greens, then is topped with a selection of market vegetables, three balls, and the sauce of your choice. When topped with veggie balls, it’s a serious vegetarian meal, but you can also top it with any ball you’d like (heat up your balls in the microwave for a minute or two to take the chill off). Ladle on your favorite warm sauce in place of the expected dressing.

While we love the snap of quickly blanched green beans, we also love this preparation, which leaves the green beans almost meltingly tender. They’re ready when they are completely soft and cooked through, and all the delicious seasonings have been absorbed by the beans. They are perfect alongside grilled or baked fish, or with our Veal Meatballs (page 48).

Kabocha is a Japanese winter squash or pumpkin that has a slight sweetness that we accentuate by simmering it with sugar. You can substitute peeled butternut squash if your market doesn’t carry kabocha, but look for it. These days it’s often in bins at the bottom of supermarket produce aisles.

Creamed spinach is something we crave. Everyone else seems to love it too, because it’s soulfully satisfying. Another great thing about creamed spinach is that its high fat content allows it to freeze extremely well. Go ahead and make a double batch (and see if the other half actually makes it into the freezer). Swiss chard works just as well as spinach in this recipe. While this side is incredible on its own, wait until you try it with Chicken Meatballs (page 12).

French green lentils, or lentilles du Puy, are smaller and more delicate in flavor than the usual supermarket variety. They require only fifteen minutes of cooking too, which makes them a handy pantry staple. A drizzle of crème fraîche and heavy cream sends this dish over the top.

Saba (mosto cotto), a reduction of grape must, has a flavor similar to that of balsamic vinegar. It is a largely undiscovered treasure here in the states, but is commonly found in Italian pantries. Our ace recipe tester, Alison Ladman, came up with an easy recipe for a homemade version. You can also use aged balsamic vinegar that’s been reduced by half its volume. If no specialty grapes, such as Concord, are available, a mixture of red and white grapes works well too. A drizzle of this syrup brings out the sweetness of the roasted squash and beautifully offsets the saltiness of the drier ricotta salata cheese.

If prepared with a bit of inspiration, cauliflower can taste complex and flavorful. As with all recipes, the simpler the preparation, the more important attention to detail becomes, and with this dish, it’s all about the high-heat roasting. Don’t be afraid of a few burned edges. Cauliflower is low in sugar, so roast it hot and fast so that it browns well but keeps some of its wonderful crunchy texture. Make sure you don’t overcrowd the roasting pan, as this will cause the vegetable to steam instead of roast. You’ll love this alongside our Bouillabaisse Balls (page 23).

Beets are so sweet and delicious that at the restaurant we try to feature them as often as possible. We also try to make things a little bit more interesting by adding pecorino to the beets instead of traditional goat cheese. FYI, the longer the beets are marinated, the better they tend to taste, so plan to prepare this dish in advance.

Collard greens are sweet and yummy, but you need to cook them all the way through or they can be bitter and tough. Cooking them in salted water will speed up the process so you can get these greens into your mouth as soon as possible. A little splash of vinegar at the end of cooking helps brighten the flavor. We use these as a bed for the Bolognese Balls (page 6), but they work well with pretty much any meatball in the book.

Green leafy vegetables like kale are extremely healthy, and kale is one of our favorites. The key to this recipe is cooking the anchovies and garlic until they are falling apart, almost melting into the dish. If you have an aversion to anchovies, feel free to leave them out. Just add a pinch more salt. Serve alongside Mediterranean Lamb Balls (page 24)

Fennel is a staple ingredient at the Shop. It’s extremely versatile and just as delicious thinly sliced into a salad as it is roasted as an accompaniment. Don’t discard the green fronds; they are very flavorful, and you can use them for the Fennel Risotto (page 77).

Brussels sprouts are one of the highlights of the fall market. If you’re lucky you can buy them attached to the stalk. When roasted, the outer leaves become nicely browned, and in this recipe the flavor is intensified by the addition of apples and onions. The honey-roasted pecans add a wonderful sweet and salty crunch and are a bonus recipe here—you can snack on these with a cocktail too. And while we keep the veggies all vegetarian at the Shop, if you want to, roast a little bacon or pancetta along with them. The results will speak for themselves.

Carrots are often underappreciated, and we think they are one of those incredible vegetables that is worth another look. We were inspired to re-create a modern version of a classic Jewish dish called tzimmis, which is served to welcome in the new year. With its great balance of savory carrots, refreshing mint, and lemon juice, plus crunchy, earthy walnuts and sweet honey and prunes, this is one of our go-to roasted veg dishes at the Shop. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Using tangy provolone is a nice departure from the usual cheddar in these light biscuits, which we created with the leftover bits of cheese that we serve on our sandwiches. When we put these on the menu, they sell out in two hours. Slice them in half and load them with your favorite ball. We like to make these really big, but you can use a smaller biscuit cutter. Just check the biscuits for doneness a minute sooner. If wild mushrooms aren’t available, use portobellos or buttons.

We serve this comforting and nostalgic Thanksgiving favorite throughout the fall and winter months. Yams are sweet on their own, so you don’t want to overdo it with the marshmallows. Here we provide just enough to give you a sweet taste every few bites. Candied yams are a natural for the Gobble, Gobble Balls (page 39), of course, but try them with the Spicy Pork Meatballs (page 21) too.

We love turnips and don’t want you to pass them by the next time you’re at the market. When cooked right, their earthy flavor is seriously irresistible. At the Shop people go crazy for them. The kick from the horseradish brings out the natural sweetness, and the sour cream adds a tangy, rich element. We love these with the Salmon Balls (page 34) or Venison, aka Bambi, Balls (page 42).