Winter: Recipes in Season

Red berries in winter
Image by m01229

When the cold winter wind blows through the trees and the ground freezes hard as a rock, nothing warms a body faster than hearty comfort food. Soups and stews are favorites during the snowy time of year, as are braised dishes and roasted meats and vegetables. And holiday feasting has its own place among mid-winter dining pleasures.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking there is no good, fresh produce available during the winter months. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and greens are at their peak of sweet flavor. Root vegetables and avocadoes come into their own as well. A wide variety of citrus fruit adds a bright note to an otherwise bleak landscape of fruits. And shellfish are abundant.

Here is a list of items that are abundant, fresh and seasonal for winter.

December Ingredients

Vegetables

Beets | Cabbage | Cauliflower | Celery | Celery Root | Collard Greens | Chanterelle Mushrooms | Parsnips | Rutabagas | Turnips | Winter Squash

Fruits

Apples | Coconuts | Dates | Grapefruit | Grapes | Persimmons | Pomegranates | Tangerines

Fish and Seafood

Clams (U.S. West Coast) | Dungeness Crab | Oysters

January Ingredients

Vegetables

Avocados | Beets | Broccoli | Brussels Sprouts | Cabbage | Cauliflower | Celery | Celery Root | Chanterelle Mushrooms | Greens | Parsnips | Rutabagas | Turnips

Fruits

Apples | Dates | Grapefruit | Kiwi | Lemons | Limes | Oranges | Papayas | Pears | Pommelos | Tangerines

Fish and Seafood

Clams (West Coast) | Oysters | Tuna, Bigeye

February Ingredients

Vegetables

Avocados | Brussels Sprouts | Cabbage | Celery | Celery Root | Chanterelle Mushrooms | Greens | Parsnips | Rutabagas | Salsify | Turnips

Fruits

Apples | Dates | Grapefruit | Kiwi | Lemons | Limes | Oranges | Papayas | Pommelos | Tangerines

Fish and Seafood

Clams (West Coast) | Oysters | Tuna, Bigeye

International Recipes for Winter

Try these warming wintertime dishes.

Scotch Broth 
(Scottish lamb, barley and root vegetable stew)
A bowl of Scotch broth with oatcakes

Scotch Broth 
(Scottish lamb, barley and root vegetable stew)

Bigos 
(Polish hunter’s stew of meat, cabbage and sauerkraut)
Bigos stew in a dish

Bigos 
(Polish hunter’s stew of meat, cabbage and sauerkraut)

Gigantes Plaki sto Fourno 
(Greek baked white beans in tomato sauce)
Small plate of gigantes plaki

Gigantes Plaki sto Fourno 
(Greek baked white beans in tomato sauce)

Ghapama 
(Armenian rice-stuffed and baked whole pumpkin)
Two ghapama pumpkins on a table

Ghapama 
(Armenian rice-stuffed and baked whole pumpkin)

Coquito 
(Puerto Rican coconut-rum beverage)
Half a coconut split open

Coquito 
(Puerto Rican coconut-rum beverage)

Sancocho 
(Latin root vegetable stew)
Bowl of sancocho root vegetables stew

Sancocho 
(Latin root vegetable stew)

Crêpes Suzette 
(French thin pancakes with orange sauce)
Plate of crepes Suzette with sauce and orange segments

Crêpes Suzette 
(French thin pancakes with orange sauce)

Apple Fritters 
(Jewish batter-fried apple rings)
Deep-fried apple fritters

Apple Fritters 
(Jewish batter-fried apple rings)

Galbi Jjim 
(Korean braised beef short ribs)
Dish with galbi jjim

Galbi Jjim 
(Korean braised beef short ribs)

Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup 
(American Midwestern hearty cheese soup)
Bowl of beer cheese soup

Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup 
(American Midwestern hearty cheese soup)

Fabada Asturiana 
(Spanish sausage and bean stew)
Fabada Asturiana (Spanish sausage and bean stew)

Fabada Asturiana 
(Spanish sausage and bean stew)

Sauerbraten 
(German marinated beef pot roast)
Slices of sauerbraten with gravy and potato dumplings

Sauerbraten 
(German marinated beef pot roast)

Hausgemachtes Sauerkraut 
(German, Austrian, Swiss homemade fermented cabbage)
Jar of homemade fresh sauerkraut

Hausgemachtes Sauerkraut 
(German, Austrian, Swiss homemade fermented cabbage)

Borshch 
(Ukrainian beet soup)
Bowl of borshch with smetana sour cream

Borshch 
(Ukrainian beet soup)

Carbonade Flamande, or Vlaamse Stoverij 
(Belgian beef and beer stew)
Plate of beef carbonade with fries

Carbonade Flamande, or Vlaamse Stoverij 
(Belgian beef and beer stew)

Brussels Sprouts Gratin 
(English roasted Brussels sprouts with cheese sauce)
Fresh Brussels sprouts on a countertop

Brussels Sprouts Gratin 
(English roasted Brussels sprouts with cheese sauce)

Xihu Cu Yu – West Lake Fish 
(Chinese fish in sweet vinegar sauce)
Xihu Cu Yu (Chinese West Lake vinegar fish)

Xihu Cu Yu – West Lake Fish 
(Chinese fish in sweet vinegar sauce)

Brasato al Chianti 
(Italian beef braised in red wine)
Slices of beef brasato al Chianti on a plate with polenta

Brasato al Chianti 
(Italian beef braised in red wine)

Mulled Wine 
(English spiced wine)
Simmering mulled wine with spices and fruit

Mulled Wine 
(English spiced wine)

Kugelis 
(Lithuanian savory potato pudding)
Plated serving of kugelis

Kugelis 
(Lithuanian savory potato pudding)

Apfelmus 
(German applesauce)
A spoonful of chunky applesauce from a bowl.

Apfelmus 
(German applesauce)

Daube de Boeuf Provençale 
(French Provencal beef braised in red wine)
A large dish of daube de boeuf provancale.

Daube de Boeuf Provençale 
(French Provencal beef braised in red wine)

Pierogi 
(Polish stuffed dumplings)
Plate of Polish pierogi

Pierogi 
(Polish stuffed dumplings)

Pavo Salvadoreño 
(Salvadoran roast turkey with sauce)
Roast turkey

Pavo Salvadoreño 
(Salvadoran roast turkey with sauce)

Yorkshire Pudding 
(English savory puff pudding)
Individual Yorkshire puddings

Yorkshire Pudding 
(English savory puff pudding)

Ash-e Jow 
(Persian barley bean soup)
Bowl of Persian barley and lentil stew

Ash-e Jow 
(Persian barley bean soup)

Hong Shao Rou 
(Chinese red-cooked pork)
Red-cooked pork with a scoop of rice

Hong Shao Rou 
(Chinese red-cooked pork)

Fondue 
(Swiss melted cheese dish)
A full cheese fondue set and place setting

Fondue 
(Swiss melted cheese dish)

Schweinebraten 
(German roast pork)
Slices of schweinebraten roast pork

Schweinebraten 
(German roast pork)

Ragù Bolognese 
(Italian tomato-meat sauce)
Bowl of pasta bolognese

Ragù Bolognese 
(Italian tomato-meat sauce)

Semmelknödel 
(German bread dumplings)
Semmelknödel German bread dumplings on a platter

Semmelknödel 
(German bread dumplings)

Law Bok Gow 
(Chinese steamed radish cake)
Plate of Chinese steamed radish cake

Law Bok Gow 
(Chinese steamed radish cake)

Puchero 
(Spanish meat and chickpea stew)
Puchero in the style of the Canary Islands

Puchero 
(Spanish meat and chickpea stew)

Ärtsoppa 
(Swedish yellow pea soup)
Artsoppa (Swedish yellow split pea soup)

Ärtsoppa 
(Swedish yellow pea soup)

Blaukraut 
(German braised red cabbage)
Blaukraut on a plate with sausages

Blaukraut 
(German braised red cabbage)

Pasteles 
(Puerto Rican savory cakes in banana leaves)
Puerto Rican pasteles, wrapped and unwrapped

Pasteles 
(Puerto Rican savory cakes in banana leaves)

Southern Greens 
(American Southern-Soul simmered leafy greens)
Pot of simmering greens

Southern Greens 
(American Southern-Soul simmered leafy greens)

Erdélyi Rakott Káposzta 
(Hungarian pork and sauerkraut casserole)
Sauerkraut for sale

Erdélyi Rakott Káposzta 
(Hungarian pork and sauerkraut casserole)

Shchi 
(Russian cabbage soup)
Pot of simmering shchi

Shchi 
(Russian cabbage soup)

Candied Sweet Potatoes 
(American sugar-baked sweet potatoes)
Casserole dish of candied sweet potatoes

Candied Sweet Potatoes 
(American sugar-baked sweet potatoes)

Dresdner Stollen 
(German Christmas fruitcake)
Slices and full loaf of Dresdner stollen

Dresdner Stollen 
(German Christmas fruitcake)

Poule au Pot 
(French chicken in a pot)
Poule au Pot (French chicken in a pot)

Poule au Pot 
(French chicken in a pot)

Khoresht-e Aloo 
(Persian lamb stewed with prunes)
Plate of khoresht-e aloo

Khoresht-e Aloo 
(Persian lamb stewed with prunes)

Tire sur la Neige 
(Canadian maple syrup taffy)
Canadian maple syrup taffy wrapping up on snow

Tire sur la Neige 
(Canadian maple syrup taffy)

Linzertorte 
(Austrian jam tart)
Linzertorte on platter with a serving cut out

Linzertorte 
(Austrian jam tart)

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