Kimberley Hasselbrink

The compote in this winter refresher provides a nice dose of antioxidants from fresh cranberries and cleansing notes from the ginger. Excess sugar is kept to a minimum with natural honey.

Toasted walnuts go the extra mile in this simple but versatile side dish.

Tuscan kale, also called black kale, dinosaur kale, Lacinato kale, and cavolo nero, has long, narrow, very dark green bumpy leaves; it is available at farmers’ markets and some supermarkets.

We’re big fans of the cabbage and crema that’s served atop Baja-inspired fish tacos. Along those lines, this crispy slaw brings out the best in a simple pan-roasted salmon fillet.

Fresh sardines are only sporadically available, so we’ve recommended using canned sardines here. By all means broil fresh sardines if your fishmonger has them. If you go with canned, spend a little money on them: Imported Portuguese and Spanish sardines such as Cole’s and Matiz taste much better than the grocery store staples. You could also use good-quality tuna—again, imported canned tuna, or line-caught albacore from the Western U.S., will taste best. A time-saving tip: Soaking the farro over.…

Orange-flower water can give even a simple fruit salad a faraway lilt, but adding too much of it leaves a dish tasting like old-fashioned soap. Use this ingredient with serious discretion—start with ⅛ tsp.