Making Use of Winter Veggies

We've reached that time of year when I expect a lot of us are growing bored with the variety of local veggies we have available (let's be honest!). I have grown to love our winter stored vegetables, but I can't say I was in the same place before I started this business. I have learned that there are all kinds of variations you can take on a single vegetable, and that when you start looking to other cultures for culinary inspiration, the possibilities are truly endless. That is why I try to include a diverse range of recipes in my emails that I send out every produce box week to our customers.

But in this blog post, I want to talk about using our winter veggies to make that one universally comforting type of dish- unique to each place and yet always delightfully hearty, nourishing and soothing: stew. 

Stews can be made with all kinds of different vegetables and meats, but I am including here mainly stews including vegetables that we find in our area of the world in the winter. Because that's what we're dealing with!

Now, when we're talking about winter vegetables, we're usually talking about heavy, grounding root vegetables. If you use enough of those, you're bound to get a hearty meal. If you don't want it too heavy, try balancing it out with some greens, like kale or cabbage, or even a handful of micro greens on top that you can mix in. Basically, you can use any vegetable you receive in your wintertime LifeDirt produce box, as long as the combination of flavours is something that suits your taste buds!

But we usually need more protein, so whether you're a meat or a bean eater, pick your favourite protein and make it work for you! I've been really enjoying white navy beans, chickpeas, and a mix of mung beans & brown lentils in some vegetarian stews I've been making recently. Until this year, I had never tried making my own stews using beans, not thinking it would be filling enough to be considered a stew. However, I was proven wrong immediately after I first tried making this Jamaican Sweet Potato Stew.

To enhance the gorgeous flavours of the vegetables and proteins you're working with, you'll want to include some sort of seasoning. Maybe just salt & pepper will do it for you, or maybe you're like me and enjoy experimenting with different flavour profiles with the help of a wide array of spices and herbs based on how I'm feeling that day. Sometimes it's a wild disaster, other times it's like magic just happened.  This website has some suggestions around seasoning vegetable soups that might be helpful. Once you've found two or three spice combinations that you like (maybe from one of the recipes included at the bottom of this blog post), why not make a jar full of those seasonings and throw in a spoonful of one of them in your next stew? 

Finally, it's always nice to have a grain of some sort on the side. Maybe a thick slice of bread, some crunchy crackers, a piece of flatbread or a serving of quinoa or millet to keep it light. Pick what works best to balance out your meal, and you'll be ready to go!

If you prefer working with tried and tested recipes, here are a handful (several from my home region of Scandinavia) that look and sounds -and hopefully taste- scrumptious. Maybe they will even provide inspiration for your next meal!

• Vegan Irish Stew
• Moroccan Vegetable Tagine
• Vegetarian Moroccan Stew
• Vegan Stew with Winter Vegetables
• Vegan Norwegian Hunter's Stew
• Swedish Sailor's Stew
• Norwegian Root Vegetable & Barley Stew
• Norwegian Beef & Vegetable Stew
• Ginger Sweet Potato & Coconut Milk Stew

I'm already looking forward to my next stew... Happy culinary travels!

-Miriam