March and April is the hardest time for me to stick to seasonal produce. At this time of year, before the spring greens and first asparagus become available, ‘seasonal’ mostly means fruits and vegetables that have kept well over the winter. For fruit, this means apples; I’m getting tired of eating them plain, but we’re still eating them cooked in oatmeal, or sliced to top off a toasted bagel with peanut butter. (That last is a great afternoon snack).
Root vegetables such as parsnips, potatoes, and sweet potatoes are still holding their own. I haven’t yet mastered the art of the slow cooker, but parsnips don’t need much cooking anyway. They, along with sweet potatoes, are our favourites when they’re roasted in the oven with a little bit of butter, lemon juice, and honey. Potatoes are always welcomed plainly boiled and mashed. Beets are a new addition to our repertoire.
Cabbage and squash are other good winter vegetables. The Smitten Kitchen’s Warm Butternut Squash and Chickpea Salad is the best use for butternut squash I’ve come across yet. Cabbage shines in cabbage rolls, bubble and squeak (with the potatoes mentioned above, usually augmented with bacon or served alongside pork chops), or sometimes in coleslaw.
We’re still a month away from pulling the first radishes from the ground, and tearing off the outside leaves of our first spinach… although I’m already looking forward to those first tastes of spring!
Kirsten Nelson 