Savory and Warming Winter Meals

I love cooking in the winter months. A slow-cooking stew or delicious au gratin made with winter vegetables can fills the house with warm and comforting smells.

As always, choosing the right ingredients is the first step toward making a satisfying meal. Although it may seem as if there just aren't any great ingredients to work with in the colder months, there are plenty. Root vegetables like parsnips, turnips, rutabagas, onions, potatoes, yams and beets are just a few which contribute to savory cold weather meals. And many will be locally grown.

The leafy winter greens, kale and collard, are perfect to enjoy at this time of year. They are part of the plant family that includes broccoli and cabbage and not only are they sweet and tasty, they have all the anti-cancer properties of the other cruciferous vegetables. (They are considered winter greens because they taste the sweetest when the cold weather sets in and frost appears in the fields.)

There is an abundance of winter squashes in the market as well, Acorn, Golden Nugget, Spaghetti, Butternut and Banana to name a few. Each has its own flavor and all are a significant source of beta-carotene and Vitamin C.

So how do you incorporate these ingredients into dishes? Try a stew, gratin, or soufflé or simply bake them.

Stew: Root vegetables are often the major component of stews because they are able to hold up to long cooking times while maintaining their shape and structure. Winter greens contribute terrific flavor and beautiful color to soups and stews. These greens are especially suited to stews, their firmer texture means that they don't disintegrate like spinach and the softer greens will. Beans are another great addition to any stew. To insure that they are cooked properly, cook them separately, drain them and add them to the stew 5-10 minutes before serving.

Although stews may need to simmer on the stove for an hour to be well cooked, don't get fooled into thinking that they are time consuming to prepare. The great thing about a stew is that it takes just a short time to get all the ingredients cut and into the pot and once it is cooking, it does not need tended very closely, it really just requires an occasional stirring to make sure that it is cooking properly.

Another benefit of preparations like stews is that it is just as easy to make a large amount as it is to make a small amount and the leftovers can be frozen and re-heated later.

Freeze in small containers (remember to label them with the name of the dish, and when it was made) and to reheat just pull out of the freezer and put it in the refrigerator in the morning and heat it in a pot when you get home.

Baking: Baking winter vegetables requires at least one half hour, but lets you get a dish into the oven quickly. Root vegetables and winter squashes can be baked very simply, made into a gratin or an elegant soufflé.

The squashes are especially appealing when baked. They are easy to prepare and can be served as a side dish or as a meal in themselves. All squashes can be cooked in the same manner: just cut the squash in half, remove the seeds and place the squash on a baking sheet, cut side up. Dress with a bit of olive oil (or butter) season with salt and pepper and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon. Bake at 350 F until a knife slides through the flesh easily. Scoop out of the skin and serve.

Gratins and soufflés: Gratins are traditional casseroles that can be made using a variety of winter vegetables. To prepare a gratin, peel and slice the vegetables. Layer them in a baking dish, cover with whole milk, or half milk and half cream, season and bake until they are tender.

For a more elegant presentation of winter vegetables, make a soufflé. Soufflés are made in two stages, the base of the soufflé is made with flour, butter, and milk along with a vegetable puree. You can use any vegetable puree that you like - just make sure that it isn't too loose or watery. Root vegetables, because they contain the least water, make the best purees. The second part of the soufflé is the whipped egg whites. You can prepare the base of the soufflé a day in advance and then simply bring it to room temperature, whisk the egg whites, fold them into the base and bake.

For eating locally and healthily, here are some recipes for using fresh winter vegetables.

Lentil & Vegetable Stew

By Trish Lobenfeld - Instructor of Food Science at New York University

Yield: 8 portions

Ingredients

• 3 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 pound onions, peeled and diced
• 1/4 pound carrots, peeled, quarter inch slices
• 1/4 pound parsnips, peeled and diced
• 3 ribs of celery, quarter inch slices
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons mild curry paste
• 3 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 7 ounces canned whole tomatoes
• 16 fluid ounces chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 8 ounces lentils, clean of foreign objects and rinsed 3 times
• 8 ounces zucchini, diced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

Heat the vegetable oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onions to the hot oil, lower the heat to medium, and sauté for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Add the carrots, parsnips, celery and garlic and sauté an additional 5 minutes. Add the curry paste and ginger and cook until very aromatic, approximately 20 seconds. Next add the tomatoes, stock, lentils, and salt and pepper to the pot. Bring the stew to a rolling boil, reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered until lentils are soft, approximately 40 minutes. Then add the zucchini and simmer until the zucchini is al-dente. Taste and adjust the seasonings and serve immediately.

Joan's Kale and Potato Soup

Adapted from Joan Gussow's This Organic Life: Confessions of a Suburban Homesteader (Chelsea Green, 2001, $22.95),

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked kidney, pinto or brown beans
• 4 cups finely cut kale leaves
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow or red onion, diced
• 3-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 1 lb. red or yellow potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 6 cups water or stock

Method

Steam kale in a large kettle until wilted and bright green; set aside to cool. Heat oil in soup pot. Add onion, garlic, chili, bay leaves and sauté until onion is soft but not brown. Add potatoes and water, bring to a boil, simmer about 15 minutes. Re-chop kale and add with beans; boil 6-8 minutes.

Root Vegetable Gratin

By Amy Topel

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 Idaho potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
• 2 sweet potatoes, rutabagas or turnips peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
• 2-1/2 cups milk or 1-1/4 cup milk and 1-1/4 cup cream
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

Butter a 2 quart gratin dish. Gently heat the milk and add the seasonings and set aside. The gratin is made in layers, with each layer moistened with the milk mixture. To make a layer place potato slices into the dish to cover the bottom, then add some sliced onions and the some of the other vegetable. Pour 1/4 cup of the milk over top and then form the next layer. Repeat this process until all the vegetables and milk are used. Bake in a 350 F oven for 45 minutes, test for doneness with a knife, the vegetables should be very soft.

Savory Winter Squash Soufflé

By Chef Amy Topel

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 2-1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup grated Fontina cheese
• 1-1/2 pounds winter squash or sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
• 4 large eggs, separated

Method

Butter a 1-1/2-quart soufflé dish, dust with 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a saucepan over low heat, sauté onion and garlic in butter until translucent. Add flour and stir constantly for 3 minutes. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly, until the mixture has thickened. Remove from heat, whisk in Fontina, mashed squash and egg yolks until completely smooth. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt to stiff peaks. Gently fold into the squash mixture. Pour into soufflé dish, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Serve immediately.