When it's cold, snowy and gray outside, it's the season for root vegetables. We can count on these not-so-fair-weather friends to usher us through the frigid months, gracing our tables and fortifying our diets with their sweet, nutrient-rich roots. These winter workhorses are storehouses of energy, flavor and natural sugar -- guaranteed to brighten up your plate and palate on a dreary, chilly day.

In this recipe, root vegetables replace the ever-popular russet potato, and while they are called "fries," they are oven-roasted, so you can feel virtuous while you scarf down a batch. Mix and match your favorite roots and spices to your taste. If you can get your hands on purple sweet potatoes, give them a try -- they have a slightly spiced and sweet earthy flavor, and remain firm while roasting.

As for peeling, I prefer to leave my organic root vegetables unpeeled and simply give them a good scrub because their skins are a wonderful source of nutrients and flavor. Roast one root vegetable or choose a variety for striking color. I prefer a combination of parsnips, carrots, celery root, rutabaga and sweet potato.

Roasted Root Vegetable Fries

Active time: 15 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

2 pounds root vegetables, such as parsnips, carrots, celery root, rutabaga and sweet potato

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Dipping Sauce:

3/4 cup Greek whole milk yogurt

1 tablespoon Sriracha

1 small garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the root vegetables into 2-inch batons, about 1/3-inch thick. Place in a large bowl. Add the oil and generously season with salt and pepper; toss to thoroughly coat.

Spread the vegetables in one layer on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment. Roast on the lowest rack of the oven until golden brown on the bottoms, about 15 minutes. Move the baking sheet to the top rack of the oven and roast until the vegetables are tender and golden brown on top, about 15 more minutes. (If desired, turn on the broiler for the last few minutes of roasting.)

While the vegetables are roasting, whisk dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Serve the fries warm with the dipping sauce.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

This tart is a vehicle for two winter-friendly ingredients -- caramelized onions and Gruyere cheese. Caramelized onions are sweet, savory and slick. A lengthy cooking time coaxes out their abundant natural sugars and releases their juices, resulting in a squidgy heap of golden brown onions. Gruyere cheese is a nutty, piquant Swiss cheese, a favorite melting cheese in fondue, and equally delicious au naturel. Combine the two ingredients, and you have the makings for a richly savory winter meal, guaranteed to spark visions of snowflakes and crackling fires in your imagination. (At least in mine, since I live in California!)

This recipe is my best reproduction of an appetizer I ate years ago, when I lived in a Swiss winter wonderland near Geneva. It was a complimentary sliver of tart, passed around with a pre-dinner drink at a local auberge in the hills overlooking Lake Geneva. I have never forgotten this tart. It was simple and rustic, just like the half-timbered dining room in which it was served, with its man-size fireplace and crooked beamed ceiling.

There are few ingredients in this minimal creation, so every ingredient counts. Take the time to properly brown the onions and choose an authentic Gruyere cheese, preferably aged for deep flavor -- and you will be rewarded with this uncomplicated and seductive tart. Serve it as a light meal, or cut into thin slivers and pass around as an appetizer.

Caramelized Onion and Gruyere Tart

Active time: 25 minutes

Total time: 2 hours

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Dough:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

3 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons Calvados (apple brandy)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 ounces finely grated Gruyere cheese, divided

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, plus extra for garnish

1 egg, slightly beaten

Prepare the crust: Combine the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse once or twice to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the dough resembles coarse meal, with some pieces of the butter visible. Add the water and pulse once or twice -- just until the dough comes together, adding another tablespoon of water if necessary. Dump the dough onto a work surface and form it into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat the olive oil over medium in a deep skillet or pot. Add the onions and salt; cook until the onions are golden brown, soft and squidgy, 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the Calvados and black pepper and cook until the liquid evaporates, 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and cool while you roll out the dough.

Roll out the dough to fit in the bottom and up the sides of a 10-inch round tart tin with a removable bottom. Sprinkle half the cheese over the bottom of the tart. Spread the onions in the shell and sprinkle the thyme over the onions. Brush the exposed crust rim with the egg wash. Sprinkle the tart and crust with the remaining cheese.

Bake the tart until the crust is firm and golden and the onions are deeply colored without blackening, about 30 minutes. Remove and cool slightly. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, garnished with additional thyme.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

January invites slow-cooking and one-pot meals. After the fancy food and hoopla of the holidays, the first month of the new year welcomes comforting meals without any bling or pretension. This curry is a perfect example. Brimming with vegetables and infused with coconut, this rich and aromatic stew is healthy and bright. Its spice and heat is guaranteed to warm a crowd, while jump-starting any dormant taste buds suffering the winter doldrums.

This easy curry is also a one-pot wonder, simply prepared in 30 minutes, and tastes great with basmati rice. It's perfect for a weeknight meal or no-fuss weekend dinner. Feel free to switch up the vegetables to your taste. Chicken thighs may also be used in place of the breast meat -- just adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Coconut Chicken Vegetable Curry

Active time: 30 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Yield: makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 pound chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 large carrots, sliced 1/4–inch thick

1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes with juice

1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk

6 to 8 leaves lacinato or curly green kale, tough stems removed, coarsely chopped

1 red jalapeno pepper, sliced

Chopped fresh cilantro

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide pot or deep skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pot in one layer without overcrowding. Cook until the chicken colors on all sides, turning as needed, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside on a plate.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to the same pot and then add the carrots and onion; saute until the carrots brightens in color and the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the poblano and saute until crisp-tender, about 2 more minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring, to coat the vegetables and lightly toast the spice. Pour in the tomatoes and coconut milk and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Partially cover the pot and simmer over medium-low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

Return the chicken to the pot and stir in the kale. Continue to simmer until the chicken is thoroughly cooked through and the leaves are wilted, about 5 minutes.

Serve the curry in bowls with basmati rice. Garnish with the jalapeno slices and fresh cilantro.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS