In our small house the woodstove is enough to heat us. Fires begin in late September and burn without breaks until sometime in May or even June. In warm months, when the stove is cool and the hearth is dark, things are not the same. I miss the heat that penetrates and restores—a nap on the hearth rug in front of a woodstove is the best medicine. In January, when temperatures don’t break freezing all month, the stove is kept at a searing level, with its soapstone sides and top burning to the slightest touch. This is perfect for making stews, roasting squash, baking potatoes, or simply boiling beans in a pan on top. And if the options for cooking on top are many, there are additional opportunities inside with the live fire. Here is one of my favorite sides to go with grilled kebabs, turmeric-and-cumin-spiced rice, and cooling yogurt raita.

Double-wrap a large eggplant in aluminum foil and place inside the stove on ashen coals. Turn occasionally until the fruit softens and is fully baked—it should be very soft, especially at the ends, which generally take longer to cook. If there is no woodstove, fireplace, or firepit handy, place the eggplant, cut side down, on a baking sheet lined with foil and place under the broiler until the skin blackens. When eaten from a nice bowl, scooped up with warm roti, or used as a garnish for a roti wrap of falafel or kebab with rice and raita, this provides it all—flavor, nutrition, and sustenance.