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.

Chicken Pot Pie 
(American savory chicken stew in pastry)

Schweinebraten 
(German roast pork)

Pierogi 
(Polish stuffed dumplings)

Brasato al Chianti 
(Italian beef braised in red wine)

Classic Bread Stuffing 
(American seasoned bread side dish)

Sorrel Punch 
(Jamaican hibiscus flower beverage)

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

Panforte 
(Italian Christmas honey fruitcake)

Pasteles 
(Puerto Rican savory cakes in banana leaves)

Sopa de Ajo 
(Spanish garlic and bread soup)

Ghapama 
(Armenian rice-stuffed and baked whole pumpkin)

Apfelmus 
(German applesauce)

Sufganiyot 
(Israeli Jewish filled donuts)

Latkes 
(Israeli Jewish potato pancakes)

Eggnog 
(American egg and cream Christmas beverage)

Lefse 
(Norwegian potato flatbread)

Dresdner Stollen 
(German Christmas fruitcake)

Dušené Zelí 
(Czech braised cabbage)

Hasenpfeffer 
(German stewed rabbit)

Yorkshire Pudding 
(English savory puff pudding)

Tire sur la Neige 
(Canadian maple syrup taffy)

Inlagda Rödbetor 
(Swedish pickled beets)

Töltött Káposzta 
(Hungarian stuffed cabbage rolls over sauerkraut)

Lanttulaatikko 
(Finnish mashed rutabaga casserole)

Kotmis Satsivi 
(Georgian chicken with walnut sauce)

Roast Turkey with Pan Gravy 
(American holiday turkey)

Cranberry Pudding 
(American steamed Christmas pudding)

Roast Prime Rib 
(English roast rib of beef)

Fabada Asturiana 
(Spanish sausage and bean stew)

Puchero 
(Spanish meat and chickpea stew)

Semmelknödel 
(German bread dumplings)

Locro 
(Ecuadoran, Peruvian potato-cheese soup)

Toshikoshi Soba 
(Japanese New Year soba noodles)

Chili con Carne 
(American Tex-Mex spicy beef stew)

Fesenjan 
(Persian chicken in pomegranate-walnut sauce)

Shou Mian – Longevity Noodles 
(Chinese egg noodles in broth)

Dong Gu Dofu 
(Chinese braised tofu with mushrooms)

Fondue 
(Swiss melted cheese dish)

Aquavit 
(Swedish herb-infused vodka)

Irish Stew 
(Irish lamb and potato stew)

Spaghetti and Meatballs 
(American pasta with meatballs)

New England Clam Chowder 
(American clam and potato stew)

Law Bok Gow 
(Chinese steamed radish cake)

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

Borshch 
(Ukrainian beet soup)

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