Early Winter Produce
Cozy & earthy veg for the beginning of the cold season
This fall has been one of the busiest of my adult life. I began the school year with a team that had doubled since the last school year, which is exciting and was necessary but a little daunting. In addition I was wrapping up my freelance job and managing a packed schedule on weekends since every weeknight was devoted to freelance work. On top of those I was dealing with some big personal emotions that are still being unraveled and soothed honestly. It has been a little rough to be honest.
I’ve been grieving the quick passing of the autumnal season because I don’t feel like I really got to enjoy it with being so busy. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the holiday season and had the house decorated by November 15th, but because this year I didn’t get to bask in the transition fall season, I feel like I missed out on all the seasonal cooking and baking that is my absolute favorite.
Luckily I’m at a slower pace of life right now and I’ve had more time to enjoy the process of cooking and not needing to rush through meals to get to the next thing I had to do before I went to bed. I’ve been able to linger over a pot of sizzling onions, meditatively fold dough for pasties, take the time to make a dinner that takes more than an hour to cook, and slow down while I eat. It’s a good thing that that’s where I’m at right now so that I have the time to let the thick root veggies that are in season cook awhile to become so tender that it all melts in your mouth.
If you’re someone who also cooks seasonally then you’re also probably making sure that your cold dark storage is set up for all the potatoes, onions, and squash. If you didn’t know, you can store some of your produce on the counter in an out-of-the way place, and put the carrots and beets in the fridge for safe-keeping for a few weeks. Quick reminder to keep your potatoes and onions separate since the onions can make the potatoes sprout. Whether you’re getting vegetables from the farmer’s market, a winter CSA if you’re lucky, or your regular grocery store, I hope these tips on storage and ideas for meals will extend your food for the first bursts of cold and dark nights.
Early Winter Produce Storage
The produce that we are getting now in the Deep North is food that will keep for a while. Before refrigeration, these root vegetables were stored in a root cellar for the winter. Now that we have modern day refrigeration, most of our produce will keep in the fridge for at least a couple weeks if not for over a month. If you buy your vegetables from a typical grocery store, you should expect that the veg has probably sat for a while in a refrigerated truck or cooler, so your produce might not last quite as long as CSA vegetables.
Here is how I store these seasonal veggies to extend their shelf life:
Arugula and spinach mix - Store in a salad spinner in the fridge with a paper towel loosely on top to absorb excess moisture OR in a zip top bag with a paper towel or two. Feel free to switch out the paper towel every few days if it’s damp.
Beets - Store in a zip top bag in your produce drawer. If they are fresh and stored well, they should last weeks in the fridge (and may even sprout some leaves on the top, which is okay - they will still be safe to eat).
Cabbage - Store in a zip top bag in the fridge.
Carrots - Zip top bag with a paper towel to absorb moisture in the fridge.
Celeriac - This is the root of celery and is such a weird looking vegetable but delivers on all the earthy celery flavor you are familiar with! Keep it in a zip top bag in the fridge.
Garlic - Store on the counter in a bowl or vessel with some air flow.
Kale - Store in a zip top bag in the refrigerator with a paper towel, or strip the leaves and put in a zip top bag in the freezer to use throughout the winter.
Leeks - These store best in a zip top bag in the fridge. When you’re ready to use them, be sure to rinse thoroughly in cold water to get all the dirt out that tends to get trapped between the layers of the leeks, especially toward the top of the leek.
Onions - Keep these on the counter, out of sunlight if you can, with your garlic. Make sure whatever you store it in has good airflow so the onions don’t get moldy!
Parsnips - The one vegetable I’m not eager to eat. I like them more now, so I’m going to be a very brave girl and keep trying them this winter in hopes of liking them more and more. Store in the fridge in a zip top bag - paper towel optional!
Peppers - Thanks to climate change and warmer temps, we got red and green bell peppers for the first time in our Thanksgiving CSA box.
Spanish radishes - These radishes are mild in flavor and have black skin with white flesh. They are best stored in a zip top bag in the fridge.
Thyme - Keep in the fridge in a zip top bag with a paper towel to absorb moisture.
Winter squash (delicata) - Store on the counter in a cool, dark place.
If you’re curious about how to store other kinds of produce, you can read my previous newsletters here:
Early Winter Meal Planning
With all the hardy vegetables in the fridge that will last quite awhile, each vegetable will give us lots of meals before we get our first winter CSA box.
Arugula and spinach mix - Used in egg scramble, potato leek soup, and as a base for herb-loaded salad.
Beets - Roasted up for salads, extras got frozen for use throughout the winter
Cabbage - Used in stir fries and soups. We have most of a head of red cabbage left so I’m very open to suggestions you might have!
Carrots - Arguably our most versatile vegetable: stir fries, soup, as a side with chicken breasts, on grain bowls, and raw with dip for snacking
Garlic - Roasted low and slow in olive oil - perfect to spread on toast or sandwiches, and added to soups!
Kale - We use kale in almost every soup we make throughout the winter or sautéed up with cabbage, onions, peppers, and sausage.
Leeks - No matter how many leeks we get, we always seem to use them almost immediately! This time we used all of them for my favorite potato leek soup.
Onions - We have an onion almost every day, whether it is raw, sautéed, or pickled.
Parsnips - Roasted and pureed as a base for hearty meals with a protein, and in savory hand pies like pasties.
Peppers - We use them for tacos, stir fries, chili, and raw for snacking.
Spanish radishes - These were amazing steamed and cooked in some soy sauce, and raw for snacking.
Thyme - This is always the belle of the ball for Thanksgiving dishes, pot pies or roasted vegetables.
Winter squash (delicata) - We roasted this until very crispy and had it with some kale for a fall salad.
Now is the time to lean in to meals that take a little longer. As you wait for them to cook, take time to read, do a craft, listen to an album, or play a card game. This season of slowness and rest is one I am craving this year and I can’t wait to hibernate a bit.
Things I Like
These charcuterie sugar cookies - I do not need another hobby, but these are tempting me!
Granny square balaclavas are back again for another winter season. I made a few last year as gifts for my friends and I have one too. If you’re looking for an easy project to get yourself into crocheting, I highly recommend this! So trendy, so granny chic!
Traditional colors holiday! I used red wrapping paper to wrap a few gifts this week for maybe the first time ever? As a historically neutrals-loving gal, the reds and greens are really speaking to me this season in lieu of my go to brown paper packages tied up with string.
May your week be gentle and may you eat well. 🌲🥣