5 Cosy Winter Meals Made From the Garden

While it's not necessarily the most abundant time of year, there's still plenty of good food coming from both above and below the soil.

Whether you've grown the veggies yourself, making the most of your Farmers market finds or diving into a freshly delivered veggie box - there are plenty of ways to showcase late winter's hardy crops!

The joy of eating seasonally is the year-round diversity

Here are 5 of our most recent favourite meals to enjoy in these chilly evenings (even better if you make enough for lunch the next day!):

1 - Roasted Vegetable and Lentil Soup.

Packed with flavour and energy, this is a fantastic meal to make ahead - I'd always recommend freezing the leftovers for a day when cooking really isn't appealing. The best part about it is you can throw in whatever veggies take your fancy, so you'll never have the same version twice.

2 - Creamy Leek, Potato and Greens Soup.

Well, winter isn't soup season for nothing! Let's make the most of the leeks while we still can (gosh, that sounded morbid, didn't it?!). Go one step further than the classic leek and potato version by tossing in a handful of chopped greens - think kale, silverbeet, chard or spinach - right at the end. It'll give a deeper colour and so many more nutrients, without overpowering the flavour.

3 - Winter Vegetable Tray Bake.

Cooking really doesn't get much easier than this: chop, season then throw it in the oven (but don't forget about it. I've done that once… not ideal!). Again, you can mix and match with whatever veggies take your fancy - we always recommend kumara, potato, garlic, pumpkin and yams, but the world, as they say, is your oyster!

4 - Roasted Veggie Frittata.

Following quickly on from the tray bake, a frittata is an excellent way to dress up the leftovers! With the added protein and oh so much fibre, this is a great lunch or light dinner dish that’ll fill you with energy and keep your gut happy!

5 - Hearty Vegetable and Bean Stew.

Incredibly adaptable and simply divine when served alongside crusty bread or over a bed of rice. This stew is another great way to use up those veggies hiding in the back of the fridge. Bring it all together with tomato sauce preserved from summer (or simple canned tomatoes will do the trick just as effectively!), thyme, parsley and any other fresh herbs that tickle your taste buds. It's a crowd pleaser for sure!