Posted on: September 16, 2010
'Season's Eatings'
Seasonal eating isn’t just for summer picnics – enjoy fresh winter produce with a twist, and even grow some at home
By Christopher Adamson
CTW Features
Ever wondered how to eat delicious, local vegetables during cold climate winters? Or, how to make all the roots and leafy greens taste as good as their summer counterparts?
Well, dig no deeper.
The best way to get local veggies in the winter is through a year-round Community Supported Agriculture program, where nearby farmers share their crop with subscribers for a fee. The trouble is, their winter shares are often comprised of vegetables most people don't cook that often, like beets, turnips or kale. According to Kathy Gunst, that shouldn't deter you. Roasted root vegetables are more versatile than you think.
Gunst, the co-author of “Stonewall Kitchen Winter Celebrations: Special Recipes for Family and Friends” (Chronicle Books, 2009), joined a CSA near her home in Maine last winter.
“These farmers here in southern Maine supplied me with greenhouse-grown greens all winter – tons of potatoes, onions and root vegetables,” she says.
“I tried new foods all winter and roasted, made soups, salads and almost never bought a vegetable flown in from another part of the country or the world.”
Dealing with an unfamiliar root vegetable can certainly be considered a challenge. “Some people are stumped when faced with a rutabaga,” says Andrea Chesman, the Vermont-based author of the upcoming book “Recipes from the Root Cellar: 250 Fresh Ways to Enjoy Winter Vegetables,” due out from Storey Publishing in the summer of 2010.
“It turns out that what is inside [the rutabaga] is similar to a turnip with a sweeter, milder, yellow flesh.” She recommends cooking them like potatoes.
If you want to grow your own winter vegetables in a cold climate, consider investing in cold frames, containers or some kind of small green house. In some warmer climates, you can do without these if you plant these leafy or root vegetables by late summer.
Even if you just go to the supermarket, don't be afraid to dive into winter vegetables for you and your family. If you cook and serve them right, your kids might start requesting turnips!