By the Monday after Thanksgiving we’ve reached the eye of the hurricane, a brief calm between the elaborate feast behind us and the extravagant parties ahead. Let’s give ourselves permission to exhale and, if possible, keep this week just for us and the fam. Gather ye cozy duds while ye may, before the social whirl catches up with us again.

In our house, this means a week of soups, salads and all manner of dishes that use up the leftovers and lay down a vegetable foundation before we plunge headlong into that sea of canapés, dips and cheese boards that December is famous for (did I mention latkes?).

Lidey Heuck’s taverna salad is a fine place to start. This vibrant mix of juicy tomatoes, sweet bell peppers and cucumbers is anchored by seared halloumi and toasted pita and tossed with a pungent, herby red wine vinegar dressing. It’s both sustaining and light.

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Staying with healthful, but a bit heartier, Dawn Perry’s blistered broccoli pasta with walnuts calls for twice as much broccoli as pasta by weight, plus enough grated pecorino and fresh mint leaves to really punch things up.

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