While winter is far from peak for many fruits and veggies, others thrive in cool temperatures. One veggie family in particular tastes best during the chilly months: brassicas, commonly known as cruciferous vegetables. Members of this group include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, horseradish, kale, collards, mustard greens, turnip greens, etc. These veggies are deeply savory – ideal for hearty winter meals – and sometimes have a bit of a peppery kick. When grown in cool-weather conditions, they’re sweeter and often taste best when roasted or sautéed.

Cut Brussels sprouts in half, toss with extra-virgin olive oil and salt and pepper, spread out on a parchment-covered baking sheet and roast at 375F for 15 to 20 minutes or until the sprouts have reached their desired browned crispiness. Ditto for broccoli and cauliflower florets.

Leafy greens, cabbage and bok choy can be covered and sautéed over medium-low heat for 20 to 30 minutes to bring out their flavors. A splash of water will steam them, but for additional flavor and to benefit from the fat-soluble vitamins found in brassicas (they’re rich in carotenoids and vitamins E and K), cook them with a fat suitable for medium heat, such as butter, ghee, extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil or bacon drippings. Garlic, onions, ginger and chili peppers are excellent flavor adds.

Another cold-weather staple is winter squash. These thick-skinned squash varieties include pumpkins, butternut squash, buttercup squash, acorn squash, spaghetti squash, etc. Acorn and buttercup squashes have the advantage of being small and easy to handle (as well as having deeper toned, slightly more flavorful flesh), and buttercup in particular is easy to prepare because it’s squarish. Translation: it won’t roll away when you’re cutting it. Meanwhile, spaghetti squash stands out because post-cooking, its flesh separates into angel-hair-like strands when forked apart. It’s an excellent stand-in for pasta – toss it with pesto, marinara sauce, Bolognese sauce or just some butter and garlic.

All winter squashes can be prepared by simply cutting them in half, scooping out the seeds (roast those separately if you like), and roasting them cut-side-up on a parchment-covered baking sheet at 375F for 30 to 45 minutes or until you can easily pierce them with a fork. Rubbing the cut squash with butter/ghee or drizzling with a bit of coconut or extra-virgin olive oil will add flavor, or make a one-dish meal by stuffing your squash.

Although mushrooms aren’t technically a cold-weather crop because they’re grown year round, their meaty heartiness makes them a superb candidate for winter dinners. Large portobellos can be made into mini pizzas, button and cremini mushrooms can be stuffed with anything from crab to blue cheese and shelf mushrooms like maitake and oyster are excellent when simply sautéed with butter or extra-virgin olive oil and perhaps an aromatic or two. (It’s worth noting that maitake mushrooms are rich in vitamin D, which is something we can all use more of in the not-very-sunny winter months.)

Many mushrooms are difficult to find fresh but easy to find dried, such as chanterelles, lobster mushrooms, porcinis, morels and black trumpets. They rehydrate beautifully in soups, stews, risotto dishes and braised dishes. Or grind them into powder with a high-speed mini processor and make your own mushroom-based spice blends!


Lisa Howard is a writer, editor and health educator who loves to share her joy of cooking delicious and nutritious foods during her community talks and culinary classes. You can find out more about her classes and recipes at www.theculturedcook.com.

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