Winter Produce in Cold Climates
If you live in a chilly climate, it's easy to assume you can only get local produce during warmer months, BUT a lot of hearty fall vegetables can actually last all winter long in local storage. From beets and cabbages to potatoes and winter squash, there are plenty of options for eating local produce during the winter.
Beets
This sweet and earthy vegetable is tough enough to last long after its growing season of May-October. Beets taste great roasted with a little bit of olive oil and salt, or if you want to get fancy, they also make a great base for pesto.
Cabbage
Similar to beets, cabbages grow best June-November, but are hearty enough to last in local storage through March. They taste great in raw dishes like Asian chopped salad and in cooked dishes like soup and stir-fry.
Carrots
You know ‘em and you love ‘em. Carrots are an old standby grown May-November, but are available from local storage through the winter. They taste great raw, or you could get chef-y and roast them with a touch of maple syrup, salt and olive oil.
Kale
This leafy nutritional superstar is hearty enough to be grown through December in milder winters and can even last in well into January some years. Although its taste gets a bad wrap from the haters, raw kale can be delicious if you massage the veggie first to wilt it and give it a bit less chew. Alternatively, kale makes a delicious addition to soups and stews.
Onions
Onions’ primetime is August-October, but these flavorful veggies are available from storage year-round. Obviously onions are a great partner to burgers, eggs, salads and more, but they also taste great as the star of the show. Just roast them with olive oil, salt and hearty herbs and dig in.
Parsnips
Oft overlooked, this cousin to the carrot is available from storage long past its final harvest in November. Parsnips taste slightly sweet like carrots, but they have a cinnamon-y and earthy flavor that tastes delicious cooked in stews and roasted simply with salt and olive oil. Check out my parsnip and caramelized onion frittata for another scrummy variation.
Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
These classic comfort veggies last for months after their spring and summer growing season. Baked, roasted, mashed, Hasselback...anything goes with potatoes. If you want to be trendy, you can even turn your sweet potatoes into toast (or pizza).
Winter Squash
Winter squash (think: acorn, butternut, spaghetti…) are actually grown and harvested in the fall, but they can last all winter in storage. This family of vegetables can be prepared in a million ways, like roasted acorn squash salad, butternut squash soup or spaghetti squash Alfredo.