5 Ingredients or Fewer

Candy roaster pie has been an Appalachian Thanksgiving tradition for a hundred years. The term describes several varieties of large super-sweet winter squash. Many are so big—thirty pounds or more—that some farmers sell them at the market already cut into wedges. Any dense eating pumpkin or winter squash works well here.

Black drum is a terrific fish—meaty and satisfying but still delicate. It’s often compared to overfished grouper but is more flavorful and less tough, and its skin cooks up crisp and savory. If you can’t find drum, black cod (sablefish) from Alaska or wild striped bass is a good substitute.

Dark green curly spinach varieties like Savoy or Bloomsdale have a deeper, richer flavor than the lighter green, grassier flat-leaf spinach, but any spinach pairs wonderfully with cardamom.

I love making sauerkraut and wait to do it on a day when I am alone in the kitchen and it’s hopefully raining.

Both the vinegar and peppers (together or separately) can serve as a condiment for soups like the Red Lentil (page 191), for braised greens and stewed meat, or as a bright winter substitute for dried chiles.

These were introduced to the Lantern kitchen by Fuchsia Dunlop’s exhilarating book Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking. The surprisingly simple method lets you carry the heat and spice of late summer long into the winter months, such as in Roast Moulard Duck with Kumquats (page 214). Pureed along with cider vinegar, garlic, and a little sugar, salt-cured chiles become a vibrant hot sauce for raw oysters (page 188) or rice and beans.

When red bell peppers are best (and least expensive) in the late summer and early fall, this is a good dish to make in a big batch.

The spice level of both shishitos and the fleshier pimiento de padrón are unpredictable—most have a gentle zip, while the occasional pepper, about one in seven, is quite hot, adding some drama to cocktail time.

This is a good idea for an abundance of tomatoes that are threatening to rot. The juice keeps refrigerated for several days and can be frozen for up to 6 months.