Winter Produce Guide: What to Eat This Month
While winter certainly doesn't boast the abundance of a summer harvest, there are still a good range of staple veggies that actually start to taste better as the weather gets colder.
A good solid frost encourages plants to convert their long-chain starches into more simple sugars, making the veggies taste sweeter and less bitter. Classic examples include:
Kale.
A wonderfully nutrient dense leafy green that works fabulously in stir fries, bakes, winter salads and soups.
Silverbeet and red chard.
One of our most dependable winter crops, these lovely lush leaves are fantastic when used in soups, quiches, stews and stir fries.
Broccoli.
Broccoli don't merely withstand the trials and tribulations of winter, no, they thrive under harsh conditions! Real suckers for punishment, if you will… and they're super versatile: soups, stews, roast veggies, pasta dishes, stir fries (we eat a lot of stir fries in winter!).
Cauliflower.
Just like broccoli, caulis grow particularly well in cold climates - and wow, they really do add great texture to a dish. Mash them, roast them, fry them, bake them - cauliflower's mild flavour means it works well with accompaniments that range from bechamel sauce and cheese to a spicy Asiatic concoction.
Leeks.
With their mild, sweet stems, leeks are a winter favourite - especially in a slow-cooked meal, which really brings out their sweetness. Braise them, convert them into a soup or cook them low and slow into a veggie (or otherwise) stew.
Beetroot.
A strong earthy flavour and deep purple colour make beets pretty distinctive! We also have our colourful beets, to add something a little different - the golden beets offer a sweeter flavour than their purple relatives, while the Choggia boast an incredibly aesthetic internal appearance that simply begs to be thinly sliced into a winter salad.
Carrots.
Particularly sweet at this time of year, carrots offer a huge amount of vitamins and minerals along with their tasty flavours and satisfying crunch. Not only that, they're incredibly versatile: from roasts to soups, cakes to fritters - carrots tick all the boxes!
Jerusalem artichokes.
You read that right! We've got artichokes on the menu, and they're phenomenal! A nutty, crunchy flavour that brings walnuts to mind, these tubers are astounding roasted and then topped with a mildly acidic dressing (to balance the flavours, of course!). A balsamic glaze, a cheeky vinaigrette, or a simple drizzle of lemon juice - go on, widen your menu a little and give them a try!
Potatoes.
Energy dense and extremely comforting on a cold night, potatoes fill a broad range of culinary niches: mash, roasts, fries, bakes, soups, stews, roasti and more.