Seasonal Foods for the Winter Months

Fall is by far my favorite time of year and here in Oregon the rain has begun. When the rain mixes with the fallen leaves it creates the richest smell of fall and earth, leaving every inch of me dying for a roast chicken with root veggies and a cup of hot cider.

We also got a delivery of firewood that’s stacked neatly on our front porch.

I’m ready. I’m so ready for pumpkins and mums and cold nights by the fire.

So what should be in the fridge and in the oven during the winter months? I’ve made a list of seasonal winter deliciousness.

VEGETABLES

Jerusalem artichoke; white beans, lima beans; beetroot; broccoli; Brussels sprouts; cabbage; carrots; cauliflower; celeriac; celery; kale; leeks; lettuce; onions; parsnip; potatoes; sea kale; shallot; turnip; watercress, pumpkin, winter squash.


FRUIT

Apples, cranberries, pears; citrus fruits, such as grapefruits, lemons, limes, tangerines, clementines, satsumas, oranges, ugli; chestnuts, hazelnuts, and walnuts.

MEAT

Beef and pork roasts, chops, calf’s liver, buffalo, pork. This is also a great time to make sausages.

POULTRY

Chicken, chicken livers, turkey, goose, Guinea fowl.

GAME

Hare, wild rabbit, farm rabbit is available all the year, partridge, pheasant, wild duck and venison.


FISH

cod, dogfish, flounder, haddock, hake, halibut, mock halibut, plaice, skate, sea bream, sole, whiting, as white fish; carp, herring, mackerel, grey mullet, perch, pike, pilchard, sprat, as oily fish.

SEAFOOD

Clams, crab, lobster, prawns, shrimp.

Grocery Store Guidelines

I just finished the book "In Defense of Food," by Michael Pollan where he talks about how Americans eat, how its affecting our health, and maybe how we should rethink the choices we make next time we go to the store. The 256 pages can be boiled down to three simple sentences:

“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” –Michael Pollan

When I first read those words I wanted to kiss him.

Thank you.

Thank you for making it simple Mr. Pollan.

Grocery shopping is one of my favorite things to do. Living in Portland we’re spoiled with the quality, variety, and price of whole organic foods. I do understand that its not available everywhere and that, sadly, the foods on the shelves are becoming increasingly more complicated. They are “enriched” with whatever the new vitamin or mineral of choice happens to be.
I promise, it doesn’t have to be that complicated. I can also assure you that any food or food product out there that claims to be healthy…probably isn’t.

We are caught up in the reductionist thinking and have lost sight of the big picture; the big picture being whole foods. We no longer look at a carrot and see and carrot, we now see it as vitamin A or beta-carotene or bioflavonoids. We are now adding vitamins and minerals to processed foods that in their original form already contained those nutrients. We’re slapping health claims on foods also containing additives and artificial colorings that have been linked to behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, gastrointestinal distress, and many others.
My favorite is the Whole Grain Lucky Charms that have been approved by the American Heart Association to be “heart healthy.”

Really?

I think when Lucky Charms start tooting health benefits it might be time to stop paying attention to foods that claim to be good for you.

I also read an article the other day that said that companies actually purchase prime locations on the grocery store shelves. Eye level being the most expensive and sought out, along with the height of your child…so when your kid just runs down the isle, grabs the bag of Cheetos, and screams until you put it in your cart, it was no accident.

So what do you do?

I’ve made a short list of some basic guidelines to consider next time you’re wandering the isle wondering what to make for dinner.

1. Shop the edges. Whole foods tend to hang out around the periphery of the grocery store. The veggie isle, fruits, meats, fish, eggs, etc. Shop the middle for oils, spices, the occasional canned good, paper products, household items, and pet food.

2. Choose foods that have less than five ingredients…and make sure you can pronounce them all.

3. Buy food that will spoil. Yes, I said will spoil, this helps you avoid foods that have preservatives, additives, colorings, fillers, artificial flavoring, of have been irradiated. If your garlic goes bad, that’s good.

4. Buy whole foods. When I say whole foods I mean when you pick it up and hold it in your hand you can identify it as, say, an apple, or celery or a chunk of steak. There is no list of ingredients or nutrition facts. It is food the way nature intended it to be.

5. Feel good about what you’re buying. There’s a lot to say about the emotion around food and how it’s utilized in your body. I think I’m going to have an article based solely on that concept.

One last thing. If you haven't read any of Michael Pollan's books I HIGHLY recommend them. Especially "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and "In Defense of Food." They are worth every page.

And remember, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." -MP