The first step in making vegetables more exciting is to start with an exciting vegetable. That's why I like broccoli rabe. Also known as rapini, this traditional Italian vegetable--available in well-stocked supermarkets and ethnic grocers, and abundant at this time of year--has an assertive, pleasantly bitter flavor and deep green color. Its edible stems and tiny florets resemble a very skinny version of its much more widespread (and, to me, less interesting) cousin, broccoli.

To enjoy broccoli rabe at its best, you've got to cook it quickly, so it retains some of its crunch and bright color. In Asian kitchens, where it's also popular, you'll sometimes find it stir-fried with a little garlic and crushed chili flakes, or briefly steamed and doused with soy sauce and sesame oil.