Winter's Wonders - Top Picks For Produce

Root vegetables are the stars of winter cooking. The key to delicious and healthy food this winter season is knowing a little about what makes these vegetables shine. 

One big bonus to root vegetables is their incredible shelf life.  As the root of the plant, these vegetables are strong and hearty. Meaning they can last for weeks at a time.  These vegetables also store up nutrients, in the form of starch, to sustain the plants during the winter months. 

​

---

Celeriac
NPR calls celeriac the "the unsung frog prince of winter vegetables,". Its unique nutty flavor will definitely liven up your routine roasts. Try it as mash, in big-flavored, slow-cook dishes, or in its classic form, and as they do in France, as a remoulade.

​Parsnip
Like a milder carrot, they go great in roasted vegetable medleys, and they make excellent winter soups. Mashed parsnips are also a great alternative to mashed potatoes. Parsnips are nutrient rich, especially potassium and B vitamins.

Beets
Beets are a real gem. Beets are a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains. Betanin and vulgaxanthin are the two best-studied betalains from beets, and both have been shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support.

Carrots 
​Carrots are under appreciated. Incredibly versatile, they're glorious on their own, puréed into soups and roasted until caramelized. 

Sweet Potatoes 
Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes may be one of nature's unsurpassed sources of beta-carotene. Several recent studies have shown the superior ability of sweet potatoes to raise our blood levels of vitamin A

                                                                             More Great Winter Produce 
There are many tasty options for winter produce that are easy to incorporate into your favorite dishes. Produce that’s at its peak in the colder months includes:

• Citrus fruits, including grapefruit, lemons, oranges, tangerines, and mandarins
• Kiwis
• Pears
• Brussels sprouts
• Kale and collard greens
• Dates and date plums
• Several varieties of squash, including butternut, buttercup, sweet dumpling, and delicata
• Passion fruit, persimmons, pomegranates, and maradol papaya