Professional Perspective

EAT UP THOSE WINTER VEGETABLES!

Written by Daniel Anschutz, aka “Chef Daniel”

When winter comes, I get excited to cook because of the vegetables available in the winter months that aren’t utilized in the spring or summer. In this day and age, we have greenhouses and import products from around the world so you can eat whatever you want, whenever you want to. However, I highly encourage you to seek out local and seasonal foods. This has proven to help aid in seasonal allergy reduction, as most local flora contributes to allergies. This can also help you with your local immune system.

Two of my favorite winter vegetables are Parsnips and Brussels Sprouts. I’m sure some of you just said, “eww,” but hear me out. First, the nutritional value of unpeeled root vegetables (most of the nutrition is in the peels, so please leave them on) and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, etc.) is highly known, but many folks can’t stand the sometimes-bitter flavor. And for those of you thinking that a parsnip is just a white carrot, it has so much more flavor! A Parsnip has a spiced flavor like nutmeg and a hit of anise, unlike the carrot. Parsnips are also much higher in Copper, Zinc, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Iron while being less than 25% of the amount of sodium in a carrot! Brussels Sprouts are high in Fiber, Vitamin K, Vitamin C and antioxidants.

I grew up where many vegetables were canned or boiled, leaving very little in the way of taste or wanting to eat more of them. If you are in the same boat, here are a couple of ticks to cooking these two vegetables so that you will want to come back for seconds.

Roasting vegetables is a great way to accentuate the natural flavors and caramelize any natural sugars. This can also help alter the flavor of any bitterness that you dislike. In addition to this, you can add some other natural flavors to entice your palate without deep frying or adding a ridiculous amount of calories.

I like to trim the end of a Brussels Sprout and then make and “X” from the top, three-quarters of the way down. You can then soak them in orange juice (zest, too, if you have a zester) for at least an hour, overnight if possible. The liquid will get between the leaves and add some natural sugars to the vegetable. Then drain off the liquid and put them on a lined tray in the oven with salt and pepper at 400F for about 25 minutes or until you see the sugars caramelizing and the sprouts are fork tender.

In a similar fashion, I like to cut parsnips into thick half-moons and roast them with oil, salt and pepper. Then when they come out of the oven, quickly toss in a little apple cider and dust with some cinnamon. The parsnips, while roasting, lost a lot of their water content, and when you toss them with the cider, they will soak up the liquid like a little sponge and add just a hint of sweetness and winter spice to the flavor.

Both of these methods are simple ways to add flavor to a vegetable you may have passed on from years of boiling or otherwise being prepared in a manner that wasn’t exactly exciting to your palate. I hope these little changes sparked your interest to try these winter staples again or maybe for the first time. New foods can be a challenge, but keep trying them, and you may just find your next go-to dish!