sweet potatoes
Getty ImagesThe single-digit temps and scaled back sunlight might make you think the produce aisles are a bust in the winter months, but instead, they're boasting a bumper crop of hearty, healthy cold weather lovin' veggies.

We've got a bounty of recipes, tips and tricks for cooking kale, squash, bok choy, root vegetables, avocados and a whole lot more.

Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes

Mash 'em, roast 'em, puree 'em into soup -- potatoes are one of the most versatile ingredients on the menu. Just make sure that if you're boiling them, you start with cold water that's then heated up. If they're tossed into a bubbling pot, the outer parts will cook much faster then the insides.

Cooking at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes should suffice for perfect baked potatoes. If you like a softer-skinned spud, slather it in butter or bacon grease and wrap it in foil.

Chestnuts

First things first -- don't eat 'em raw! They're almost impossible to peel, and the high levels of tannic acid can incite a nasty tummy ache. Instead, make a horizontal or X-shaped slash on the flat side of the chestnut and either boil or roast them.

To boil for a recipe that will continue to cook them, cover the chestnuts with cold water, bring it to a boil and let the chestnuts simmer for 3 minutes. Take the pot off the heat, but leave the chestnuts in the water until you're ready to peel them with a sharp knife. Keep the chestnuts in for 15-25 minutes if you're planning to mash them.

To roast chestnuts, make the cuts as described above (otherwise, they can actually explode!), and place in a baking sheet in a 400 degree F over for 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally and serve hot.

Store fresh chestnuts in a paper bag in the refrigerator and use soon after purchase.

Squash

Smaller squash can be served right in the shell. Cut an acorn squash in half, remove seeds, and bake in a 375 degree F oven for 30 minutes. Mash a pat of butter and a little bit of brown sugar into the flesh with a fork and serve.

Separate removed seeds from the pulp, toss with olive oil and salt, and roast on a baking sheet in a 250 degree F oven until they're lightly browned. They're great as a snack or tossed into a salad.

Cut a squash in half, prick the flesh all over with a fork, and rub with oil. Roast it in a pan at 425 degrees F until the insides are soft and outside is lightly charred. Scoop out the insides and mash with butter, salt and cream for a satisfying side dish, or puree with stock for a hearty soup.

Snow Peas

Remove strings from snow peas by breaking off their stem and pulling along the length of the shell. Some have strings only on one side, and others on both.

Blanch snow peas in boiling water for 30 seconds, and toss them into cold water immediately to preserve their vibrant green color.

Snow peas are best if eaten immediately, but can be kept in a perforated plastic bag in the fridge for up to three days.

Radishes

To enhance the color of red radishes, add a little bit of lemon juice to the cooking liquid. Boil water and simmer whole or sliced radishes until just tender, or stem for 5-15 minutes.

One of the simplest, most delicious radish preparations is to slice them into coins, toss with salt and olive oil, and bake on a sheet at 425 degrees F for 30-45 minutes until lightly browned and tender.

Any method of cooking will tame the pungency of the raw state. But, if you like the peppery bite, just slather uncooked slices with butter and a light sprinkle of kosher salt and munch away.

Kale

A light dose of frost can actually improve the flavor of kale, making it just a little sweeter -- and the perfect winter green. It's packed with antioxidants, folic acid and Vitamins A, B6 and C and can stand in for spinach in many recipes or be used raw in salads.

Select the youngest, freshest-looking kale you can find (it's less bitter), and steer clear of mottled or yellowed leaves. It'll keep in the fridge for about 3 days, but use it as soon as you can after buying.

Rip the leaves into bite sized pieces and boil in 2-to-1 ratio of water and vinegar until they turn bright green. Drain and serve. It's also great sautéed in wine or stock with a little bit of chopped garlic or vinegar.

Winter Lettuces

With the lettuce growing season extended by the use of cold frames, there's no need to scrape by on pallid supermarket iceberg. Varieties like romaine, watercress, arugula, bibb (aka Boston or butterhead), and lamb's lettuce are not only dark-leafed and delicious -- they're also vitamin-packed and full of nutritional goodness like iron, calcium and potassium.

Cauliflower

For longer storage (up to two weeks) keep cauliflower in the fridge with the leaves still on. Removing them greatly reduces the window of freshness.

Add a tablespoon or milk of lemon juice to cooking water for whiter cauliflower, and don't use an aluminum or iron pot, as your veggies will take on a yellow tint. Iron pots will turn it brown or blue-green.

Broccoli

Raw broccoli requires good air circulation, so if you can't consume it right away, mist the heads with water, wrap loosely with paper towels, and store in the fridge in a perforated plastic bag for up to three days.

Over-cooking broccoli robs it of its flavor, nutrients and color. Steam or stir-fry it until just tender, or, if it must be boiled, cook just to the point of tenderness, and then plunge into cold water to preserve the vibrant color.

Cut stalks and florets into similarly sized pieces to ensure uniform cooking times.

Broccoli Rabe

One simple (but slightly spiced up) way to enjoy this bitter Italian veggie is to heat up two tablespoons of olive oil, a clove or two of thinly sliced garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes at the bottom of a 5-quart pot until the oil is lightly smoking. Toss in freshly washed, still dripping broccoli rabe (minus the thickest parts of the stalks) and leave the lid on until it's tender and wilted.

Bok Choy

Boil, steam, stir-fry or deep fry this versatile, crunchy wonder. Just make sure to find firm stalks, free of brown spots and store it in the crisper, wrapped in paper towels for up to a week.

Avocado

Ripe avocados should just barely give when you press their skin. If only hard ones are available, keep them in the fridge for a day or two until they're softened.

To pop an avocado open, just cut it in half, following the center of the pit, and twist the halves apart. Hit the still-embedded pit with a heavy knife until the blade lodges. Use this as a pivot to twist out the pit.

Cut into quarters and peel away the skin.

Root Vegetables

Anything taters can do, roots can do, too. Parsnips, turnips, rutabagas and celeriac are simply delicious mashed, hashed, whipped, roasted, baked, souped, stewed, chipped, fried and otherwise cooked up.

Just scrub the veggies, cut out any eyes (but feel free to leave the peel on), toss with oil or butter and roast whole or in pieces in a hot oven until a skewer slides in easily.

Artichokes

Prepping fresh artichokes can be a bit labor intensive, but the unique flavor makes it well worth the effort.

1. Start by cutting off the stem so the artichoke can sit up by itself. If desired, cut sharp leaf tips off as well.

2. Put it in a non-reactive pot with a splash of oil and enough water to cover it halfway.

3. Cover the artichoke with a towel to keep it moist (a lid locks in too much moisture and turns everything brown), and simmer for about 20-45 minutes, or until a knife slides through the base easily.

4. Serve with bowls of melted butter and lemon juice into which individual leaves can be dipped.

5. Once all the leaves have been consumed, by nibbling or scraping the flesh off with teeth and discarding the hulls, remove the choke (the hairy growth on top of the artichoke's heart) with a knife or fork, and eat its heart out!