Seasonal Produce in the Winter?
Everyone knows that it is best to eat seasonally. Seasonal food is fresher and so tends to be nutritious. Not to mention that strawberries in the summer just taste better, right? Now with better food shipping options it is possible to get strawberries in the winter from a far off climate that taste pretty close to what you can pick out of your garden.
So why eat seasonally? There are a number of reasons. You will support local farmers. You will reduce the amount of CO2 released and energy used to produce and transport those strawberries. Eating seasonally also can encourage you to be adventurous in the kitchen and try fruits and vegetables that might not be in your usual rotation.
Here is a list of what is in season for this month:
- Butternut squash
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Leeks
- Mustard
- Onions, red and white
- Parsley
- Parsnips
- Potatoes
- Mushrooms
- Spinach
- Sprouts
- Celeriac
- Chard
- Forced Rhubarb
- Green Beans
- Lemons
- Turnips
Much of what is in season now are what I think of as “staples”: potaotes, mushrooms, onions, carrots. You are probably already using these produce items all the time. However, there are some types of produce you might be less familiar with as well, or foods you may be familar with but can prepare in a new way.
Parsnips are great mashed with potatoes, and chard, which is high in vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, vitamin E, and dietary fiber is a green that can steamed for a quick side dish. The old standby cauliflower can revisited in a new way when an easy and suprisingly creamy soup which is high in vitamin C and folate. If you are a baker, one of my favorite recipes using winter vegetables is for butternut squash muffins. They are a fun and different way to eat squash.
