SIMPLY UPDATE THOSE SUMMER FAVORITES FOR WINTER

As fall’s harvest fades and the last local tomatoes are canned, frozen or left in the field, many of us mourn the passing of salad season, believing that we must either wait until the arrival of spring to enjoy light, nutritious deliciousness, or else settle for inferior salad ingredients that traveled hundreds of miles to reach out plates.

But we need not deprive ourselves, or resort to foods with little flavor and unappealing textures. With just a few adjustments—not compromises—we can continue to shop at local farmers’ markets and keep “summer” salads such as tabbouleh and Insalata Caprese on our tables year round, even in the dead of winter.

The most crucial ingredients to nix beginning in mid-fall are tomatoes and basil, which should not be planted or eaten, a colleague is fond of saying, until you can lie comfortably on the ground, naked. Replace them with beets, radishes, avocados and the herbs and greens that thrive either year round or in cooler months.

These two salads will add a bright counterpoint to the rich, slow-cooked comfort foods we crave in winter, delighting our palates as well as nourishing our bodies.