Puntarelle: December to March. Actually the leaves and stalks of a variety of chicory picked young, the crisp shoots are cut into strips, then soaked in ice water to keep them perky and curly. In Rome, a classic dressing for a salad called puntarelle alla romana uses extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, anchovy, vinegar, and salt for a fierce, refreshing effect. Here, the cooks use the anchovy filets from the Anzio seashore and serve the dressed puntarelle with beef tartare.

Cicoria: Spring, Fall and Winter. There are countless chicory varieties, but the grassy, bitter green leaf known as “cicoria” is an essential part of the Roman diet. A companion to meat and fish, it’s usually served as cicoria strascinata: sautéed with generous lashings of olive oil and garlic, and a pinch of chiles. Find an archetypal version at Cesare al Casaletto, or see it in the old-school preparation of coratella (a mix of braised lamb heart, liver, and lungs) at Armando al Pantheon.

Carciofo Romanesco (Artichokes): Late Winter and Spring. Artichokes have been essential to Roman cuisine since ancient times, both for culinary and medical uses. Italy yields spiny and violet varieties from Sardinia, small and round from Campania, and oblong from Apulia. Local Roman ones are picked and sold each year around Easter. These huge, spherical carciofi romaneschi may be deep fried or braised with olive oil, garlic, parsley and mentuccia, which is how they serve them at Sora Lella.

Broccolo Romanesco: October to March. Mesmerizing with its fractal shape and dragon-like vivid green color, this brassica, which originated in the area, is tender-stemmed with a fruity brightness. It’s cooked with ray fish in the winter soup minestra di broccoli e arzilla, finished with a handful of broken spaghetti or the tiny egg pasta quadrucci. Once a recipe of the Christmas season, it is now served all winter in traditional restaurants such as Al Moro, Taverna Cestia, and Lo Scopettaro.

Zucchine Romanesche: May to November. A stripier, slimmer variety of zucchini, often slightly curved with deep ridges, Roman zucchini often have their ethereal, orange-hued edible flowers still attached. On tables the buds will often be filled with ricotta or mozzarella and anchovies, then lightly battered and fried. Despite their slender diameter, the zucchini themselves are often hollowed and stuffed with meat, then stewed in a tomato sauce (zucchine ripiene), such as they are here.

Fagiolo di Fave (Fava Beans): Spring. In Rome, you know that winter is over when broad or fava beans appear in the market stalls. Paired raw with chunks of Pecorino cheese, they are a staple of Workers’ Day picnics on May 1, but are also enjoyed sautéed with guanciale, or as an ingredient in vignarola, a springtime vegetable braise that typically features artichokes, fresh peas, and fava beans. Odds are good of finding it on the menu at Da Cesare or at restaurant L’Arcangelo in the Prati area.

Misticanza (Rocket & Other Wild Greens): Winter and Spring. A term for a mixture of wild greens, herbs, and field shoots, each market vendor or restaurant has its own blend. Often it is a mix of arugula with borage, escarole, sorrel, pimpernel, dandelion, black radish leaves—sweet, bitter, sour, and spicy flavors. Misticanza may be served raw and cold or cooked with olive oil and garlic, the former version common at Retrobottega and Barred and the latter at Testaccio trattoria Piatto Romano.