Winter can be a depressing time of year for produce aficionados in North America. Fresh berries have to be flown in from another continent and they’re just not as good by the time they make it to Canadian soil.
As tasty as they are, carrots and apples stored from the fall harvest start to get a bit old. And the fruits in season in other parts of the world, like clementines, have a depressingly large carbon footprint.
The good news is that there’s a wealth of produce that even Canadians can enjoy fresh (and locally) during the coldest, darkest months of the year. Whether it’s because they’re still growing somewhere on this continent, they have a very late fall (or early spring) harvest, or they store exceptionally well, there’s more available to you than potatoes during these chilly months. You just need to do a bit of research, ask some questions of your green grocer, and get creative in the kitchen.
Here are ten vegetables that are still fresh and delicious this time of year, with suggestions on how to cook them — some of them expected, some of them out of the box.
ALSO ON HUFFPOST