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Napa Valley winters are more wet than cold, but I cook as if it were cold outside. On rainy nights, a rustic beet and cabbage soup with rye toast sounds just right, with some cheese afterward. Escarole does double duty at my house: I save the tender inner leaves for salad and use the other leaves in pasta or soup. Even my non-so-super supermarket has gorgeous leeks in winter, which I like to braise with broth, mustard and cream until they’re soft and browned on top. Tuscan kale, chard and broccoli rabe also thrive in cold weather. Often I’ll combine them and give them the Sicilian treatment: olive oil, pine nuts and golden raisins. Apart from citrus and kiwis, fresh fruit is in short supply, so I rely more on dried fruit in winter. Enjoy the compote below as a dessert with biscotti or as an accompaniment to cheese.