Quote of the Day: Joe Eck & Wayne Winterrowd
Americans are fondest of the foods of summer. Peas, beans, corn, and tomatoes are most people’s first choices among vegetables, regardless of the season. Modern agriculture, modern trucking, and the freezer allow us to have them even in the depths of winter–beets, carrots, parsnips, turnip, cabbage and winter squash–were popular then because they kept with little trouble in the cellar all winter long without much loss of flavor; and they were, in any case, sustenance when nothing else was available.
Joe Eck & Wayne Winterrowd in Living Seasonally: The Kitchen Garden and the Table at North Hill
Personally I much prefer the flavors of most of the other seasonal vegetables above the typical summer ones. Perhaps it comes from a childhood of eating canned green beans, frozen corn and applesauce all winter long. Perhaps I’m just older and learning to appreciate a wider variety of vegetables for the many flavors and textures that they bring to my table. Or perhaps, I just love being able to garden over a longer season because of these vegetables.
This winter I’m looking forward to my root cellar full of potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips and celeriac. In the coming years I hope to add chicories and other brassicas to my stores.
What’s your favorite non-summer vegetable?
Filed under Quote | Comments (12)
Parsnips! Celeriac!
Your harvest looks just beautiful, and we are all
inspired by how much you two have accomplished
In your first year!
Best wishes for a great winter of cooking delights.
to Marina Coneeny's comment
I don’t have a favorite winter vegetable as I like them all. My favorite veggie dish in the winter is oven roasted white potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, garlic, parsnips and turnips. Stir in some EVO, salt and pepper, turn into a large baking pan, cover with foil and cook 45 minutes or so. Yummy!
to Jennifer Fisk's comment
Yum!!
to KimH's comment
I’ve found that gardening really causes you to change your diet. It’s all been for the better:) I just ordered some camas roots yesterday, and some day, I’ll find some mashua…
to Allison's comment
Susy, I can’t believe that summer is over and winter is looming up in the far horizon. I don’t think that I’m going to try a fall garden this year. The fence project has taken up most of my garden time. My favorite winter vegetable would have to be what ever can go into the pot for soup. Your tomato soup recipe will be a great thing to pop open and have a fresh taste of what the summer garden was like. I plan on making more probably tomorrow. The tomato glut has finally started to slow down. I can probably get another 8 or 10 quarts of soup out just the tomatoes ready to be picked.
I’m already looking forward to next year and have plans for a better garden but then isn’t that always how gardeners think. What can I do better and what would the result be if I did this or that.
Have a great fall harvest season.
to Nebraska Dave's comment
Sweet potatoes are probably my favorite, though I love carrots too, and celeriac, and most everything else, except beets – not a big fan of them…
Oh, and parsnips – YUM! I don’t eat them in the winter much, mostly wait until the ground thaws in the spring so that I can have a taste of my garden then.
to Joan's comment
Its tough.. I love all veggies… I think carrots are probably my most favorite though..
to KimH's comment
butternut squash, although I no longer try to grow it. I just can’t beat the squash bugs. I usually stock up at the farmers market – last year my Walmart slightly redeemed itself by selling squash grown at a farm just an hour away.
to Trish's comment
Trish, have you tried growing hubbard squash as a trap crop for the squash bugs? I read that this works well, and plan to try it next year. I don’t have enough of a squash bug problem that I can’t grow butternuts, but I’m tired of picking bugs and looking for eggs…
to Joan's comment
Acorn squash and pumpkins!
to kathi Cook's comment
Squash is one of my favorites, all varieties. Butternut, acorn, delicata, kabocha, and pumpkin. Carrots, after they have been left in the ground for awhile are super sweet and delicious.
to Colleen's comment
Ohhhh hard to choose since all root crops are favorites. Potatoes and carrots I guess, since I eat more of them than any other.
to Marcia's comment