Asian pears all share a spectacular crunchiness, which makes them ideal for winter salads like this one.

If spring is all about asparagus and summer is a toss-up between corn and tomatoes, then fall rightly belongs to sweet potatoes.

George W. Bush, as recently revealed, may like his scallops about as much as his dad likes broccoli, but perhaps that’s because he’s never had the pleasure of tucking into a plateful of the Peconic Bay variety.

Not so much a kissing cousin to plain old broccoli as an eccentric great-aunt who pops in for an unexpected visit every once in a while, broccoli rabe has a delicious bitterness that stands up to sharp flavors, as demonstrated in this recipe from 202 and Nicole’s chef Annie Wayte.

They’re perfect for pie-making or any recipe that calls for an exceptionally smooth purée, like Gusto chef Amanda Freitag’s zuccotto.

Fairly bursting at the seams with assorted vitamins and minerals, not to mention beta-carotene, the humble carrot is a true super food, even if eating a gargantuan amount could turn skin temporarily yellow like a bad bronzer.

Although it’s virtually fat-free and low in calories, when cooked in oil, eggplant absorbs fat like a sumo wrestler at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Which might explain why we find it so delicious.

Black mint isn’t an herb gone goth, but rather a type of peppermint that’s commonly used for tea and actually turns out to have more of a dark-purplish or brownish cast around the stem.

Gilroy has its garlic and Castroville its artichokes, but no one stakes a stronger claim to green chile peppers than Hatch, New Mexico, the self-proclaimed Chile Capital of the World.

The broad, flat, edible-pod Romano bean is also known as an Italian green bean, and as such, it’s often subjected to the thorough cooking Italians favor when it comes to vegetables, a realm where al dente rarely applies.