Winter Vegetable Digest - January 2021

Need some inspiration for your Winter Vegetable haul? Here are some simple and elegant ideas to make the most of these underrated veggies: 

*Candy Red Cabbage from Alewife Farm (Kingston, NY): One of the most striking cabbage varieties! Medium sized conical headed red cabbage. Exceptionally sweet and crunchy! Best enjoyed in slaws, roasted, braised and made into kraut.

TRY IT OUT: Braise with our local Crimson Crisp apples, onions, vinegar, and sugar. Serve alongside pork chops or sausages for a cozy dinner at home.

*Tetsukabuto Squash from Alewife Farm (Kingston, NY): This variety of winter squash was bred in Japan to be insect and disease resistant. This squash is slightly less sweet than a butternut, but has a deeper flavor reminiscent of hazelnuts and brown butter. It can be used in sweet applications (i.e. pie) or savory (roasted, sliced thinly and fried, pickled, etc).

TRY IT OUT: Mix together a quick dipping sauce for when you roast or fry:

1 one inch piece of ginger (peeled & minced)

2 sliced scallions

Put scallions and ginger in a small dish and submerge in ponzu sauce. Let sit for 15 minutes. Serve alongside rice and a fried egg to make a whole meal out of it.

*Celeriac from Fawn Grove Organics (Fawn Grove, PA): This celery variety is bred for its bulbous stem (hypocotyl) and can be used in applications similar to other root vegetables, i.e, roasting, mashing, soups, etc. It’s super versatile!

TRY IT OUT: For a nice winter slaw, peel and shred celeriac and a few parsnips. Add a little sliced onion. Season with some kosher salt and fresh lemon juice. Throw in a handful of fresh parsley leaves and some chopped nuts (the richer the better i.e. Marcona almonds or hazelnuts). Drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and enjoy for lunch or as a side for dinner.

*Parsnips from Dagele Brothers Produce (Florida, NY): These aromatic roots are very closely related to carrots (in the family Apiaceae) and have a high sugar content. They are great roasted, boiled, fried, etc. but also work well for sweet applications: Ice creams, custards, and puddings.

TRY IT OUT: Swap out leeks for parsnips next time you make potato soup if you want to impress your friends. Add some croutons (perhaps made from some Sullivan Street Sare *wink wink). Or chopped Marcona almonds for those gluten allergies out there!

*Forono Beets from Winter Moon Farm (Corinth, VT): This Italian heirloom cylindrical beet is known for being exceptionally sweet and earthy with a dense even texture. The cylindrical shape makes them easy to evenly slice. They are best roasted or sliced thin and eaten raw (also make a tasty pickle!).

TRY IT OUT: Easy pickle recipe:

3 parts distilled white vinegar

 2 parts water

½ part sugar

¼ part salt

Combine and bring to simmer, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar. Cool to just above room temperature and pour over thinly sliced beets. Store in the fridge until ready to use.