Overlooked Winter Veggies: Consider the Sunchoke

Image via blogs.kcrw.comSunchokes, also known as Jerusalem artichokes (though they’re neither artichokes nor related to Jerusalem in any way) and nearly identical to gingerroot, are knobby tubers shrouded in misconception. But take them for what they are – the nutrient-rich roots of a North American sunflower variety, with a sweet, earthy flavor – and you’ll find that these über-local veggies deserve an identity all their own.

Sunchokes are available from October through March, and they store well in the fridge for a couple weeks after purchase. It’s up to you whether you peel them or not; just give them a vigorous scrub and leave the skins on for maximum nutritional benefit. Rich in vitamin C, potassium and iron, sunchokes are crunchy and nutty when raw, with a texture similar to water chestnuts. When roasted, baked, or cooked into soups, they make a great substitute for potatoes.

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Overlooked Winter Veggies: Rediscover the rutabaga

Image via muffintinmania.comOften mistaken for turnips and outshined by the season’s much sexier squash and cooking greens, the stalwart, purple-topped rutabaga—which is harvested from September through March— is easy to grow, easy to store and even easier to take for granted. No doubt you’ve seen it bobbing in Grandma’s beef stew and chopped with other root veggies in traditional pot roasts, but give it a chance and you’ll learn that this cabbage-turnip hybrid has much more to offer.

Known as Swedish turnips (or swedes) in their native Europe, rutabagas are round with smooth cream-colored skin on the bottom and purple on the top; and their butter-yellow flesh is sweeter and denser than their turnip cousins. Their low moisture content makes them ideal candidates for mashing and roasting, and is probably the reason they are most commonly used in soups, stews and braises. However, the crunchy raw flesh is also delicious in coleslaw and salads (like this Rutabaga Apple Salad, for instance).

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Russet Potatoes: This spud's for you

story and photos by Grace DickinsonThe Russet is our country’s favorite potato. Roasted, fried, boiled, baked, there’s really no cooking method that doesn’t yield a tasty result. In America, we find Russets as potato chips and French fries. They arrive mashed with milk and butter at our holiday tables, and foil-wrapped as a dinnertime classic finished with a generous dollop of sour cream.  

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Kale: How to grow, buy and prepare this hardy leafy green

Story and Photos by Grace Dickinson KALE IS FINALLY GETTING the spotlight it deserves. No longer just a garnish, the leafy green is now an A-list celebrity in the vegetable world, and everyone wants a leaf of it. 

For the food bloggers, kale is the addition that sends their mac and cheese to the top of the search engine charts. For President Obama, it’s the garden-sourced salad gracing his Thanksgiving table. For the health conscious it’s a crispy baked alternative to the potato chip. And for local chefs, like Citron and Rose’s Yehuda Sichel (see p. 11), it’s more than a side dish, starring in salads and stews, or as a replacement for parsley in tabbouleh.

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Sweet Tarts: Three ways to enjoy delicious cranberries

Story and photos by Marisa McClellanI was seven years old when I first cooked with fresh cranberries. My mom had gone to a library sale and brought home a pair of books called Cranberry Thanksgiving and Cranberry Christmas. While I wasn’t particularly interested in the stories inside the books, I was intrigued by the recipes printed on the back.

After much begging, my parents relented and helped me bake a loaf of cranberry bread. I loved the way the tart berries popped in the tender, slightly sweet bread. Since then, cranberries have had a firm place in my top 10 favorite ingredients, and I’m determined to show that they’re good for a whole lot more than jelly and juice.

I’m always looking for ways to use fresh cranberries. I stir them into baked goods, add them to braises, scatter them over roasting vegetables, and even pickle them for cheese platters and cocktails. They give a fatty braised pork butt a tangy, fruity counterpoint. The combination of roasted butternut squash and cranberries makes for a sweet/tart side dish. And the combination of berries, sugar, vinegar and spices is wonderfully electric on the tongue.

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