03 Dec, 15
by Anna Brones
in Features
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What’s in Season: December

What’s in season for the month of December? Gingerbread houses and mulled wine, of course.

I joke, but we all know that this time of year, the smell of spices fills the December kitchen; spices imported from far away to make root vegetable season tolerable. If we’re lucky, it’s a month stuffed full of just a little too much overindulgence (you know, holiday cookies). Outside the weather is often gray and dreary, but we’re optimistic enough to believe in the promise of snow.

The end of December marks the Winter Solstice, and the shortest day and night of the year. Some might cringe at the thought of so little light, but think of it as an opportunity for something else: a winter night, filled with a blanket of stars. Make a thermos of hot chocolate and head out into the winter evening. This season can seem long, but it’s even longer if we forget to stop and enjoy it.

When it comes to food, we want hearty, warm dishes. Creamy parsnip soups and such. Put some flavor into your meals with dark red beets, and when you’re missing the quick, easy foods of summer, shred a carrot atop your plate just to eat something raw and fresh.

December is a lovely time of year, so put on a pot of mulled wine, roast some root vegetables and go and curl up under that wool blanket.

What’s in Season: December

Beets

Broccoli

Brussels Sprouts

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Celery

Citrus

Kale

Leeks

Pears

Parnsips

Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes

Turnips

Winter Squash

Some seasonal recipes to try:

Pumpkin Hummus with Coriander

Winter Squash and Kale Millet Burgers

Beet and Carrot Caraway Fritters

Six Spice Sliced Gingersnaps

What’s In Season is a monthly roundup of… wait for it… what’s in season. Now granted, doing a list of what’s in season is a little hard – I don’t have the exact GPS coordinates of every single reader. But I am going to base this off of my own experience and what I’m currently buying and eating, so we’re talking Northern Hemisphere, which accounts for a lot of you readers. You may not find all of the things at the in season list at your local market, but at least it will give you a good idea of what would be good to put on your plate.