Winter Produce Guide - Cooking Light

Photo: Randy Mayor

Healthy Winter Produce

As each year ends, a new season arrives. And with it a supply of fresh ingredients that offer you comfort from the cold. From hardy root vegetables to bright, sweet citrus, winter produce delivers a surprising range of flavors for you to enjoy with family and friends.

Photo: Anna Williams

Blood Oranges

Blood oranges are best eaten fresh—out-of-hand, or in salads, salsas, or marmalades. The two most popular varieties are the dark-fleshed Moro, which is available from December through March, and the delicately flavored Tarocco, which you can find from January through May.

To select, pick those that are firm to the touch and heavy for their size. Avoid any fruits with mold or spongy spots.

Recipes:
• Beet, Blood Orange, Kumquat, and Quinoa Salad
• Blood Orange Sangria
• Fennel, Blood Orange, and Watercress Salad
• Blood Orange Layer Cake
• Shrimp Salad with Blood Oranges and Slivered Fennel

See More: Season's Best: Citrus Fruits

Photo: Oxmoor House

Beets

Fresh beets are now commonplace on fine-restaurant menus. With hues ranging from yellow to purple, they lend themselves to dramatic presentations.

To select, choose small to medium beets with firm, smooth skin and no soft spots, with stems and leaves attached.

Recipes:
• Easy Pickled Beets
• Beets with Dill and Walnuts
• Spiced Beet and Carrot Soup
• Golden Beet, Greens, and Potato Torta
• Roasted Carrot and Beet Salad with Feta, Pulled Parsley, and Cumin Vinaigrette

See More: In Season: Beets

Photo: Oxmoor House

Pomegranates

Although the membranes of pomegranates are bitter and inedible, the pulp and seeds contribute a juicy, sweet-tart flavor to many winter recipes.

To select, choose pomegranates that feel heavy, are bright in color, and are free of blemishes.

Recipes:
• Pomegranate and Pear Jam
• Pomegranate-Orange Salsa
• Sparkling Pomegranate Cocktail
• Blackened Shrimp with Pomegranate-Orange Salsa
• Pineapple and Orange Salad with Toasted Coconut

See More: Pomegranate Power

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Kumquats

Fresh kumquats are in season as early as October and as late as June, but they're most plentiful from December through April.

To select, test with a gentle squeeze, and buy only firm fruit.

Recipes:
• Kumquat-Cranberry Cornmeal Loaf
• Cranberry-Kumquat-Date Relish
• Kumquat Jam
• Pepper-Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Kumquat Marmalade
• Pear Relish

See More: In Season: Kumquats

Photo: Oxmoor House

Turnips

Often called winter greens, turnip greens are actually available almost year-round. But in deep winter, they become sweeter. The greens aren't the only good product of this vegetable, however. The roots can be boiled and mashed or roasted and pureed; they can also be cubed and tossed with butter or used raw in salads.

Recipes:
• Roasted Winter Vegetables
• Beer-Braised Beef with Onion, Carrot, and Turnips
• Spicy-Sweet Turnips
• Guinness Lamb Stew
• Chickpea and Winter Vegetable Stew

Photo: Oxmoor House

Leeks

Although leeks resemble large green onions, they're milder and sweeter. Leeks are usually cooked since they're very fibrous when raw.

To select, buy leeks with crisp leaves and blemish-free stalks.

Recipes:
• Braised Leeks with Warm Pancetta Dressing
• Leeks à la Grecque (Greek-Style Leeks)
• Halibut with Leeks
• Chicken Fried Rice with Leeks and Dried Cranberries
• Creamed Corn with Bacon and Leeks

Photo: Randy Mayor

Parsnips

This hardy root vegetable enjoys cool climates—it requires frost to convert its starches to sugars and to develop its sweet, nutty flavor.

To select, look for small to medium-sized parsnips with beige skin. They should be blemish-free and firm.

Recipes:
• Pasta with Black Kale, Caramelized Onions, and Parsnips
• Roasted Root Vegetables
• Chicken and Parsnip Soup
• Roasted Vegetable Couscous with Chickpeas and Onion–Pine Nut Topping
• Crispy Root Vegetable Latkes with Beet Puree

See More: In Season: Parsnips

Photo: Oxmoor House

Kale

Consider using kale as a stand-in for spinach in other dishes. Its sturdy leaves are excellent sautéed and added to casseroles.

To select, look for a deep blue-green color and choose small bunches devoid of any signs of wilting or discoloration.

Recipes:
• Bacon and Butternut Pasta
• Garbanzo Beans and Greens
• Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Kale, Poached Eggs, and Toasted Breadcrumbs
• Apple-Walnut Kale Salad
• Braised Chicken with Kale

See More: 14 Kale Recipes

Photo: Gentl & Hyers

Cranberries

Unlike any other fruits, cranberries need to be cooked to release their full flavor and to absorb that of other ingredients—one of which is sugar.

To select, you probably won't be able to choose them individually, so check the see-through plastic to make sure you get bright, intensely colored berries.

Recipes:
• Cranberry, Cherry, and Walnut Chutney
• Classic Cranberry Sauce
• Upside-Down Cranberry-Ginger Cake
• Orange-Cranberry Pork Stew
• Cranberry Curd

See More: Cranberry Sauce and Relish Recipes

Photo: Oxmoor House

Lemons

Whether you use the juice, the zest (rind), or the slices, the acidity of lemon adds to the balance of flavor in all types of food.

To select, look for smooth, brightly-colored skin (green means under-ripe), and lemons that feel heavy for their size.

Recipes:
• Meyer Lemon Chicken
• Lemon-Earl Grey Squares
• Meyer Lemon Panna Cotta
• Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca
• Seriously Lemon Tart

See More: 10 Things to Know About Lemons

Photo: Anna Williams

Oranges

Whether sectioned, sliced, juiced, or zested, these juicy fruits are a kitchen staple.

To select, choose firm oranges that have smooth skins and are not moldy. Don't worry about brown patches on the skin; this does not indicate poor quality.

Recipes:
• Oranges with Caramel and Cardamom Syrup
• Broccoli Slaw with Oranges and Crunchy Noodles
• Pineapple and Orange Salad with Toasted Coconut
• Tomato-Citrus Salmon
• Tuscan Cake with Citrus Compote