There are many good reasons to love fall and winter, and the vegetables that thrive in the cooler months are some of the best. Soups and stews are comfort food for families throughout the country. The stick-to-the-ribs goodness and hearty flavors combine to produce warm feelings even though the weather outside might be frightful. If you have any doubts about whether you have the know-how to use those bountiful winter vegetables creatively and well, here are some great recipes to refer to. Go ahead and stock up on pumpkins and squashes, those root vegetables with the funny names, the greens that love cooler weather, and even some unexpected bonuses that you might not normally think of as winter crops. Then get busy in the cozy kitchen of your home and cook up a storm! When the winter winds howl and the snow flies, just enjoy the time indoors.
Ways to Love Winter:
1. Pumpkin and Squash
Fall is, of course, the season when pumpkins dot the landscape, cinnamon and spices fill the air, the leaves change and everyone starts planning for the holidays. If you have fields of pumpkins in your area, you’ll want to stock up—even if you only roast the seeds as healthy snacks. Fresh pumpkin, as well as the wide variety of squashes that are available, can round out your fall and winter menus. Puree the “meat,” add chunks to soups, stews and pasta sauces, roast whole squash or pieces, stuff them, make breads and biscuits, puddings and pies, ice cream and flavored drinks. Squash blossoms are delicate and tasty, and those funny, furry leaves of both pumpkins and squash are edible as well. Try this Moroccan-inspired Stuffed Squash recipe; with its exotic flavors, it will become a favorite for kids and adults alike.
2. Get to the Roots
Potatoes, carrots, turnips, rutabagas, parsnips, beets, radishes, celery root, sweet potatoes—the list is long and the beauty of most of these fall and winter choices is that all you really have to do to make them great is roast them with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Simple is delicious when it comes to these veggies. Roast them together, tossed with a splash of olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic, and you have the perfect, bountiful side for any beef, chicken or pork dish. Or go a step further to prepare a great Tarte Tatin to wow your guests.
3. Go Green
If you live in an area that is snow-covered most of the year, search out farms with heated greenhouses that harvest kale and cabbage, cauliflower, beets and bok choy, and even elephant garlic and celery in the winter. These are all so adaptable and delicious that you will add them to soup, use them in salad, and find numerous other creative ways to add vegetables to your diet. Make cauliflower pizza crust as a healthy alternative to dough. Lettuce, Napa cabbage, spinach, collards and other greens add visual appeal, as well as flavor to your winter dishes. Also check out familiar white cauliflower’s colorful “cousins”—purple, green and orange. Buy kale in big packages. Use it fresh in salad, wilt it into soup, saute kale with mushrooms or bacon, or season and slow roast the leaves as an alternative to game day potato chips.
4. Spice It Up
In moderate climates, herbs and some spice crops love cooler weather. Basil, mint, rosemary, cilantro, green onions, chives and elephant garlic all will do well in pots. Snip what you need to make a meal and enjoy the visual freshness of your herb garden. In below freezing temperatures, you can always bring small pots inside to a sunny windowsill.
5. Grow Your Own
One of the more interesting urban and suburban trends is to landscape with edible plants. If you like gardening, plant a keyhole garden. Plan fall and winter plantings so that you can harvest some good things to eat along with the flowers. Choose from ornamental (and edible) cabbages that you plant in pots or raised beds in the garden; use unusual containers outside the kitchen door or even at the entry to add scent, greenery and food to your landscape. Or take the plunge and transform a corner of your yard into a vegetable patch. Not only will you have the pleasure of “playing in the dirt,” you can teach your children valuable lessons about nutrition, the life cycle, the effects of sun and rain on plant growth and any number of subjects. Many schools are also embracing gardening to “engage” students and to channel youthful energy.
So, as the days grow shorter and the temperatures begin to dip, don’t yearn for the lazy days of summer, but embrace the change of seasons and enjoy the bounty of the fall and winter harvest. Winter vegetables can really spice up your life.
