Depending on where you live, your access to fresh vegetables this time of year may be limited to imports from much warmer climates that have been transported for thousands of miles. The garden may be snowed in.
This is the season for veggies that keep well. Potatoes, winter squashes, cabbages and all sorts of roots can stay in the cellar or storeroom for an amazing length of time if properly stored, so they are the ones considered “seasonal” right now, by those who live by such things. Here are a few of my faves.
Roasted root vegetables
Cube carrots, parsnips, turnips, and sweet potatoes and parboil them 15 minutes. Add a chopped onion (if you are not me, you can add regular potatoes too, at this point). Toss with olive oil, salt, and rosemary. Bake at 350 degrees until fork tender, probably half an hour.
Turnips baked with ham
Peel and dice 2 lbs. turnips. Gently cook in 4 Tbsp. butter for 10 minutes. Spread half of them in a baking dish. Dice 8 oz. ham and spread that over the turnips, sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley. Spread the other half of the turnips on top.
Beat together 3 egg yolks, 1 cup heavy cream, 2 Tbsp. flour (rice flour for gluten-free), ¼ tsp. mace, ½ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. black pepper. Pour this mix over the turnips and ham.
Bake at 350 for half an hour or until golden brown on top, serve hot.
Carrot-parsnip pie
Cook 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots and 1 1/2 cups chopped parsnips until soft. Puree with 2 Tbsp. butter, ¼ cup sugar, ½ tsp. cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, 1 egg, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, stir in ½ cup bread crumbs. Fill in your favorite unbaked pie shell, and bake at 375 until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, probably 45 minutes.
Daikon-carrot relish
Finely shred 2 large carrots and 8 inches of daikon. Stir with 1 tsp. salt and let stand 30 minutes. Drain well. Mix 3 Tbsp. sugar with 4 Tbsp. rice vinegar until dissolved, stir into vegetables and let marinate at least 1 day, stirring a few times. Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Beet apple salad
Peel, core, and shred 2 cooking apples. (keep in a bowl of water with lemon juice) Cook 1 pound of beets and slip their skins, or used canned whole ones. Shred them. Crush 3 cloves of garlic. Toss all these with 1 Tbsp. oil, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1 Tbsp. sugar and ½ tsp. salt. Alternatively, toss with ½ cup sour cream, salt, pepper, and herbs of your choice.
I am also fond of beets with hard-boiled eggs and mayonnaise.