Winter Recipes for Seasonal Eating (Part 1)!

Shopping at the farmers market means getting to enjoy foods at their seasonal peak, and winter time means cooking warm, comforting dishes to keep the cold away! The abundant winter produce at Chico Farmers’ Market covers all the bases and offers us anything but boring, with beautiful and endless options for cooking all winter!

Keep reading for some fun recipes for eating with the season, and discover an array of produce that is available right now at the Chico Certified Farmers’ Market. Stay tuned for more winter recipes next week, and make sure stock up on produce this Saturday!

Celery and Potato Gratin with Gruyere
Recipe courtesy of william-sonoma.com
INGREDIENTS
Unsalted butter for baking dish
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/16 inch thick
1 1/2 lb. celery root, peeled and sliced 1/16 inch thick
4 oz. Gruyère cheese, shredded
1 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
2 tsp. chopped fresh chives or flat-leaf parsley (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat an oven to 375°F. Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the shallots and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the cream, mustard, salt and pepper and whisk until just blended. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
In a large bowl, toss together the potato and celery root slices. Pour the cream mixture over the potato mixture and toss to coat evenly.
In a small bowl, stir together the Gruyère and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Arrange a layer of potato and celery root slices, slightly overlapping, in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with one-third of the cheese mixture. Repeat the layering 2 more times, ending with the cheese. Pour any remaining cream from the bowl over the gratin.
Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top is golden and the vegetables are tender when pierced, 30 to 45 minutes more. Let stand for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with the chives and serve. Serves 8 to 10.

Green Garlic Soup
Recipe courtesy of loveandoliveoil.com
INGREDIENTS
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
24 young garlic plants, white part only, halved lengthwise (about 8 ounces worth) *Can sub leeks*
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, peeled and quartered
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 to 2 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar, to taste
ground pepper to taste
thinly sliced garlic scapes, olive oil, and watercress, for garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
Melt butter in large, heavy bottomed stock pot. Add garlic and 1/4 cup of water. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add the potatoes and remaining 1/2 cup water and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the broth, cover, and allow to bubble gently for 20 more minutes.
Allow to cool slightly. Puree the soup in batches in a blender for 2 minutes until smooth. If a smoother texture is desired, pass the puree through a medium-fine sieve and return to saucepan. Stir in the cream and salt. Add the vinegar, 1 teaspoon at a time, tasting the soup after each addition, until it tastes good to you.
Reheat the soup gently and serve in warm bowls. Grind black pepper generously over each portion and serve with slices of toasted or grilled sourdough bread.

Moroccan-Style Roasted Beets, Carrots, and Turnips
Recipe courtesy of food52.com
INGREDIENTS
1 bunch medium beets
2 branches thyme
3 unpeeled cloves of garlic
3 pods cardamom
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 bunch carrots
1 bunch medium white turnips
Salt and pepper, for seasoning
1 lime
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (roughly, the juice of 1 lime)
1 tablespoon harissa
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Place the whole beets in a roasting pan with the thyme sprigs, garlic cloves, cardamom, and peppercorns. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the beets and add 1/3 cup of water to the pan. Cover with tin foil and roast in the oven until tender and the skins slip easily off the beets, approximately 1 hour.
While the beets are cooking, cut the turnips into quarters and slice the carrots into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces. Toss the vegetables with 3 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil and salt and pepper.
When the beets are done, remove them from the oven, and turn up the heat: You want a temp in the 450° to 500° F range. Place the carrots and turnips in the hot oven on a roasting pan (go ahead and use the beet pan if you don’t want to wash too many pans). Meanwhile, peel the beets and cut into quarters.
Whisk the rest of the olive oil with the lime juice and harissa. When the carrots and turnips are roasted and browned (about 20 to 30 minutes), toss with the beets. Dress with the harissa-lime juice mixture, toss with the cilantro, and taste and adjust for salt. Serve immediately or let cool to room temperature.

Delicata, Pomegranate, and Arugula Salad
Recipe courtesy of cookieandkate.com
INGREDIENTS
Salad:2 medium delicata squash, around 1 and ¼ pounds total
1 tablespoon olive oil
Fine grain sea salt
4 heaping cups arugula (or mixed baby greens)
⅔ cup pomegranate arils (or a generous handful of dried cherries or cranberries)
⅓ cup raw pepitas (or pecans)
3 to 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Maple-balsamic vinaigrette:2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon real maple syrup
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash the squash and scrape off any tough bits of skin with a knife. Slice the squash into ½-inch wide rounds. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds from each round. Drizzle the squash with a generous tablespoon of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. Use your fingers to lightly coat all surfaces of the squash with olive oil. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the squash is tender and golden, flipping halfway.
In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, toast the pepitas (or pecans), stirring frequently, until they are fragrant and lightly golden on the edges. Remove from heat.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and Dijon mustard with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Once the squash has had a few minutes to cool, combine the arugula, pomegranate (or dried fruit), pepitas (or pecans), crumbled feta and squash in a serving bowl. Toss with enough dressing to lightly coat the leaves. Serve immediately.

Roman-Style Romanesco
Recipe courtesy of foodandwine.com
INGREDIENTS
2 (1-pound) heads Romanesco with leaves
1/4 cup olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups 1/2-inch sourdough bread cubes
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
2 oil-packed anchovy fillets, minced
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoons minced garlic
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 425°F. Place Romanesco on a parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheet. Brush each head with 1 tablespoon oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until outer leaves are crisp and Romanesco is just tender and browned, about 45 minutes.
Toss bread cubes with remaining 2 tablespoons oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake at 425°F until toasted and dry, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.
Place toasted bread in a large ziplock plastic bag. Seal bag, and crush with a rolling pin until coarse breadcrumbs form. (Alternatively, you can pulse toasted bread in a food processor.) Place breadcrumbs in a bowl, and add 1/4 cup Parmesan, anchovies, zest, and garlic; stir to combine.
Transfer Romanesco heads to a serving platter, and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture and additional Parmesan. Cut Romanesco into wedges and serve.