We were very much in the mood for vegetables one night, so I explored the refrigerator and came up with an attractive and healthful dinner. No recipes this time, just taking each vegetable and cooking it in a way that highlights its best qualities.

First, we had a small beet salad — sliced beets, beet greens, pistachios, goat cheese, onion confit, plum tomato fillets, white bean purée, and a splash each of olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Next was the big vegetable platter — a real colorful one from Deruta, Italy. It featured steamed asparagus with sautéed shallots, oven-roasted onions, steamed green beans with sautéed sliced almonds, and one Greek dish — zucchini sliced lengthwise and topped with feta cheese, plum tomato slices, and then broiled. It’s a good thing someone invented color photography; this would be nowhere near as exciting in B&W.