At a time of year when we don't usually think of bountiful produce, there are actually dozens of fruits and vegetables at their absolute best and every bit as appealing as sweet, juicy corn and peaches are during the heat of summer. Not only does winter produce taste great, it's also packed with nutrients that can help us stay healthy through the cold winter months.

Though it seems counterintuitive, winter is actually the best time for some produce. For example, frost only enhances dark, leafy greens, asserts Brett Grohsgal, co-owner of Even Star Organic Farm in the Chesapeake Bay area of Maryland. "There's a phenomenon called 'frost-bit,'" he says. "Collards, kales, mustards, the whole Brassica family -- they start to sweeten up when you see significant frost." The reason, he adds, is that after being exposed to frost, the sugar the plant produces in photosynthesis stays in the leaf, rather than being transported to the root. "A frost-sweetened collard is infinitely better than a warm-weather collard," Grohsgal says.

Other kinds of produce are specifically cultivated for use during cold weather. For instance, winter squash, an indigenous American vegetable that provides vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber, and potassium, was quickly adopted by New England settlers because it stores well and can be eaten all winter long. The same is true of such root vegetables as celeriac and turnips, both of which are rich in fiber, and sweet potatoes, which are an excellent source of beta-carotene.

Winter even brings fruit, with many species specially adapted to colder climates. Pear varieties like Anjou, Asian, and Bosc, harvested in the Northwest from October to April, store well and provide a healthy dose of fiber. Cranberries, a late-fall fruit, native to the northern United States, add brilliant color to the Thanksgiving table and are a good source of vitamin C (a half cup has more than 10 percent of the Daily Recommended Allowance). Persimmons, loaded with vitamin C (just one has a bit more than a fourth of your daily need), are a natural dessert ideally suited to the cold, and must be eaten just as they ripen in late winter; otherwise they taste unbearably astringent.

Seven Smart Winter Produce Picks

1. Broccoli: One cup of this winter harvest provides your daily need for vitamin C and has 33 percent more vitamin A than the same amount of green beans.

2. Brussels Sprouts: This cousin of cabbage gives you more than 3 grams of fiber per cup. Its flavor is best when harvested in winter.

3. Collard Greens: Calorie for calorie, collards have twice the calcium of romaine lettuce. Plus, collards harvested in the cold winter are sweeter than their summer kin.

4. Cranberries: Summer berries don't provide the infection-fighting components of cranberries.

5. Persimmons: You'll get two-thirds more vitamin C from a persimmon than a peach.

6. Sweet Potatoes: Their orange flesh is an excellent source of beta-carotene.

7. Winter Squash: A cup of hubbard squash has twice the fiber and 28 times more vitamin A than the same amount of zucchini.