Winter is Coming! ❄️

Winter is coming and with it a new cast of fruits and vegetables to be found at the Chico Certified Farmers Market. The upcoming season is sure to bring more leafy greens, cabbages, cauliflower, garlic, potatoes, onions, mandarins, kiwis, apples, and much, much more. Stop by and pick up something colorful, hearty, and healthy to grace your table this holiday season.

VITAMIN C! It’s the star of the show this season and can be found in large amounts in all the winter fruits and veggies at the market.

The first ones I’d like to introduce you to are cauliflower and broccoli romanesco. These hardy veggies are absolutely packed with vitamin C. Tired of regular old white cauliflower? We have you covered. Available at several stalls, you can find not only regular cauliflower but orange and purple cauliflower as well (pictured left). If you want to try something even more on the wild side, try broccoli romanesco (pictured right). It has the texture of cauliflower while looking like something straight from an alien planet. Not only are they excellent for immunity, but they are also loaded with fiber, which aids in digestion, and vitamin A, which is known to help with vision.

If you don’t “carrot” all for cauliflower, try experimenting with carrots, turnips, and radishes! These are all delicious roasted or steamed and still provide the same amazing benefits that cauliflower and romanesco do.

For a sweeter treat, give a mandarin orange or some kiwi a go. These are perfect for snacking on the go or tossing in a salad.

Apples haven’t arrived quite yet, but when they do, be sure to pick some up! We all know the saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. That statement isn’t wrong, as apples have a lot of vitamin C in them!

Vitamin C isn’t the only good thing to be found in winter produce. They provide lots of vitamins A and K as well! Vitamin A is well-known for promoting healthy vision, and vitamin K is incredible for bone and heart health. You can find these in large concentrations in green onion, bok choy, rainbow chard, cabbage, and several other leafy greens.