I just can’t possibly not be excited about February with that beautiful image of lemons! It may be a cold and grey month in many places but I’m determined that my meals don’t have to be. All of the citrus fruits in season right now are sure are certainly brightening up any gloom I normally experience this time of year. I’m challenging myself to try a few new citrus fruits this month. Part of the fun of eating seasonally is using foods from the produce list that you’ve never tried before. What new food can you try out this month?!
Also, I’ve been doing these produce lists for a few years now and I’ve always added chocolate to what’s ‘in season’ in february. So, here’s to continuing on that tradition, because it’s cold and and we all need a little chocolate! So just in case you are planning a Valentine’s dessert treat, there’s lots of chocolate ideas at the bottom of the recipe list as well. Have a tasty month!
Brussels Sprouts
Pesto Pasta with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon
Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprout Galette with Goat Cheese
Easy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Shredded Brussels Sprout Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette
Sweet Potato Mushroom and Brussels Sprout Hash
Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Hazelnuts
Super Food Bowls (pictured above)
Broccoli
Broccoli and Chicken Quinoa Casserole
Roasted and Charred Broccoli with Pasta
Orange Sesame Sheet Pan Salmon with Broccoli
Roasted Broccoli Stuffed Shells
Slow Cooker Cheesy Broccoli and Chicken
Cheesy Baked Quinoa with Chicken and Veggies
Cauliflower
Cauliflower Couscous Greek Salad
Quinoa Crusted Cauliflower Steaks
French Cream of Cauliflower Soup
Fennel
Chickpea and Butternut Squash Stew with Fennel (pictured above)
Panzanella Salad with Grapefruit, Fennel and Avocado
Grapefruit
Chicken and Chickpea Tacos with Citrus and Avocado
Winter Citrus and Avocado Kale Salad
Panzanella Salad with Grapefruit, Fennel and Avocado
Leeks
Soft Scrambled Eggs with Goat Cheese and Leeks
Leek and Mushroom Bake with Polenta Crust by Simple Bites
Bacon Leek Dip by Kitchen Confidante
Dirty Rice with Collards and Leeks by Letty’s Kitchen
Cheesy Brussels Sprout and Leek Dip by Flavor the Moments
Potato and Leek Soup with Kale by Mountain Mama Cooks
Lemon
Lemon Curd (pictured above and if you’ve never made this before you must!!)
Lemon Beignets with Strawberry Vanilla Sauce
Oranges
Carrot and Orange Sunrise Smoothie
Blood Orange Glazed Sweet Rolls
Chicken and Chickpea Tacos with Citrus and Avocado
Butternut Squash Carrot and Orange Soup
Farro Salad with Blood Oranges, Kumquats, and Beets
Winter Chopped Salad with Pears, Avocado and Kumquats (the best winter salad there is!)
Parsnips
Chicken and Root Vegetable Pot Pie
Caramelized Pear and Parsnip Soup by Cafe Johnsonia
Root Vegetable Mash by Mountain Mama Cooks
Maple Roasted Carrot and Parsnip Fries by Flavor the Moments
Potatoes
Sweet Potato Muffins (pictured above)
Homemade Potato Gnocchi with step by step photos
Sweet Potato, Mushroom and Brussels Sprout Hash
Sweet Potato Black Bean and Corn Salad
Sweet Potato, Spinach and Quinoa Soup
Sweet Potato Black Bean and Corn Salad (good as is or in a quesadilla)
Radishes
Farro Pesto Salad with Edamame and Radishes
Radishes with Vegan Coconut Butter by Cafe Johnsonia
Sunchokes
Sunchokes with Orange Hazelnut Gremolata by My Man’s Belly
Tangelos and Tangerines
Tangerine Julius Smoothie by Letty’s Kitchen
Oatmeal and Citrus Smoothie by Floating Kitchen
Tangelo Chickpea Salad with Lemon Herb Dressing by Cookin’ Canuck
Turnips
Mashed Potatoes with Turnips and Sautéed Leeks by Floating Kitchen
Cider-Mustard Glazed Root Vegetables by Cafe Johnsonia
Cashew Cream Turnip Puree by Project Domestication
Rustic Chickpea Stew with Apricots and Turnips by Simple Bites
Winter Squash
Spicy Butternut Squash Soup with Pumpkin Seed Pesto
Pesto and Burrata Stuffed Acorn Squash
Butternut Squash Carrot and Orange Soup (pictured above)
Butternut Squash Cake with Roasted Apples
Acorn Squash Bread with Seeds and Nuts
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Risotto
Squash Casserole with Maple Nut Praline
Chickpea and Butternut Squash Stew
Baked Pasta with Squash and Kale
Chocolate
Chewy Chocolate Cookies (my VERY favorite chocolate cookie of ALL time!)
Chocolate Pear Tartlets (an elegant and decadent dessert!)
Mexican Chocolate Pudding Cake (pictured above)
Chocolate Bundt Cake with Whiskey Caramel Sauce
Old Fashioned Chocolate Pudding
Obviously, I don’t eat seasonal all the time and am quite the chocolate lover A little splurge every once in a while is definitely a good thing!
And if you’re new to our seasonal eating extravaganza. Here are the details:
The top image is to save to your computer desktop as a lovely reminder of what produce is fresh to eat this month. What’s in season not only tastes better but is better for the budget and the environment as it doesn’t have to travel as far to get to your local grocer. The below image is to save on your phone. And if you make seasonal recipes using any of the ingredients from the produce list above, please share them on instagram with the hashtag #eatseasonal so we can all be inspired by one another!
]]>Todays marks a new year! Can I get a hallelujah?!! Above you’ll find a fresh Seasonal Produce Guide, designed by one of my favorite artists, Nelson Hansen, along with a great list of seasonal recipes below. This year’s designs are better than ever; I mean have you ever seen a more beautiful image of a turnip?! Every month here on the Vintage Mixer, on the 1st of the month, you can find a new produce list with seasonal ingredients to stock your kitchen with and inspiration for what to do with all of them. Please share what you’re cooking by using the hashtags #eatseasonal and if you use one of my recipes I’d love to see those too so tag #vintagemixer.
I feel like there’s a big let down in January, the holidays are over and its dark and even a little dreary around here. I don’t know about you but I may need a little pick me up or two. A good cocktail or some comforting food amongst all of the lighter food that usually accompanies the new year may just be needed in my world. And don’t get me wrong, I’m happy about the New Year, especially after the year we’ve had but I also need something exciting on the horizon. Today’s produce list and recipe guide has a perfect mix of winter comforts like lemon ricotta pancakes and that blood orange olive oil cake I made last year, along with healthy foods perfect for resolutions, like my winter super food bowls and roasted chicken and squash. I feel like many of the healthy options below can even cross over into comfort foods, like butternut squash soup and my Brussels Sprout galette with goat cheese. So weather you need something comforting or something light I think I’ve got you covered here.
Brussels Sprouts
Pesto Pasta with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon
Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprout Galette with Goat Cheese
Easy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Shredded Brussels Sprout Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette
Sweet Potato Mushroom and Brussels Sprout Hash
Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Hazelnuts
Chestnuts
Easy Roasted Chestnuts (it doesn’t have to be Christmas to enjoy these! I love them as a warm winter snack.)
Chestnut Sheet Cake with Dulce de Leche Cream
Chestnut Salad with Pomegranate Dressing by Kitchen Confidante
Grapefruit
Chicken and Chickpea Tacos with Citrus and Avocado
Winter Citrus and Avocado Kale Salad
Panzanella Salad with Grapefruit, Fennel and Avocado
Kale
One Pan Farro with Tomatoes Sausage and Kale
Kale Caesar Salad with Blueberries and Lemon Ricotta
Winter Citrus and Avocado and Kale Salad
Leeks
Soft Scrambled Eggs with Goat Cheese and Leeks
Leek and Mushroom Bake with Polenta Crust by Simple Bites
Bacon Leek Dip by Kitchen Confidante
Dirty Rice with Collards and Leeks by Letty’s Kitchen
Cheesy Brussels Sprout and Leek Dip by Flavor the Moments
Lemon
Lemon Beignets with Strawberry Vanilla Sauce
Oranges
Blood Orange Glazed Sweet Rolls
Chicken and Chickpea Tacos with Citrus and Avocado Salsa
Farro Salad with Blood Oranges, Kumquats, and Beets
Winter Chopped Salad with Pears, Avocado and Kumquats (my favorite winter salad)
Parsnips
Chicken and Root Vegetable Pot Pie
Caramelized Pear and Parsnip Soup by Cafe Johnsonia
Root Vegetable Mash by Mountain Mama Cooks
Maple Roasted Carrot and Parsnip Fries by Flavor the Moments
Potatoes
Homemade Potato Gnocchi with step by step photos
Sweet Potatoes
Winter Superfood Bowls with Coconut Peanut Sauce (pictured above)
Sweet Potato, Mushroom and Brussels Sprout Hash
Sweet Potato Black Bean and Corn Salad
Sweet Potato Apple and Cranberry Sauté with Hazelnuts
Sweet Potato, Spinach and Quinoa Soup
Sweet Potato Black Bean and Corn Salad (good as is or in a quesadilla)
Turnips
Mashed Potatoes with Turnips and Sautéed Leeks by Floating Kitchen
Cider-Mustard Glazed Root Vegetables by Cafe Johnsonia
Rustic Chickpea Stew with Apricots and Turnips by Simple Bites
Sweet Potato, Turnip and Parsnip Latkes by Kitchen Confidante
Winter Squash
Roasted Chicken with Figs and Butternut Squash
Spicy Butternut Squash Soup with Pumpkin Seed Pesto
Pesto and Burrata Stuffed Acorn Squash
Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprout Galette with Goat Cheese
Acorn Squash Bread with Seeds and Nuts
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Risotto
Squash Casserole with Maple Nut Praline
Chickpea and Butternut Squash Stew
Baked Pasta with Squash and Kale
Just as a little reminder and for those of you who may be finding this guide for the first time. The above image is to be saved on your desktop as a reminder of what produce is in season. Fresh is always best to cook with! And the below image is for your phone. It’s kinda fun to change up the image on your phone every month (at least I think so ;))
]]>This post was originally posted in 2009 and I’ve been making them every year since! Here’s the original post with updated photos.
Over the last few years I’ve tried several recipes for Sugar Cut-Out Cookies and this year I finally found ‘the one.’ Finding the right cookie recipe is like finding your spouse, once you find it you’re not going to let it go and you’ll spend the rest of your life with it. This recipe is just that good!
Many Christmas cut out cookie recipes taste good but the cookies spread out too much while baking causing the perfectly cut out tree to look like a indistinguishable blob. This Christmas cookie recipe originated from Martha Stewart and is a tried-and-true, the cookies taste good and bake beautifully.
• chill the dough before rolling it out
• keep remaining dough and raw cut out cookies in the fridge as you work through the batch of dough
• start with a tried and true recipe (like a Martha Stewart Christmas cookie recipe)
• start with a good cookie recipe of which the dough doesn’t spread
• use royal icing in several different frosting bags or plastic bags for decorating
• use a toothpick to help shape the icing around the edges of the cookie or for detailing
• pick out classy sprinkles
• don’t over do it! A few simple colors is all you need for a bakery-style Christmas cookie.
Every year I hope to have the tradition of making Christmas cookies. The last two years I have had a special opportunity to host International friends at my house to make cookies. With the exception of my German friend, it was their first Christmas cookie experience. This year we had several talented artists and cooks in the group. My friend from Taiwan proved to be an excellent icing decorator and my friend from Turkey proved her excellence in cooking by her technique to roll out the dough perfectly by using syranwrap in between the dough and rolling pin. She also brought with her some delicious lentil soup and homemade rolls to share with us. The rest of us enjoyed making the funniest looking cookies and eating the ones that didn’t look good enough to decorate.
It was a beautiful evening, celebrating culture and friendship. We toasted to our German friend who is going back to Germany and we enjoyed stories of Christmas and Winter holidays from around the world.
old photos from 2009:
]]>Homemade Cherry Strudel is fun to make and perfect for a special holiday breakfast recipe. This easy cherry strudel recipe is made with Bob’s Red Mill whole wheat and almond flours. We love to make special breakfasts for Christmas like cinnamon rolls, salted caramel sticky buns, or coffee cake. Making something that reminds us of a past trip is even better! This Easy Homemade Cherry Strudel recipe is similar to Croatian Strudel and is definitely one that will now be in our holiday breakfast rotation.
If you can’t take a trip to Croatia making this strudel will give you a little taste of this heavenly land. Maybe you’ll even make this Croatian recipe a new part of your Christmas morning breakfast. This recipe may even convince you to make the trek abroad!
When December hits none of us are really thinking of seasonal foods and recipes but there really are some gems available right now that are not to be missed. Don’t overlook those pomegranates that are on sale right now or the bags of chestnuts. The gnarly celery roots can be put to great use in gratins or pot pies, and persimmons, if you’ve never tried before, are fabulous in ginger bread! Those are just a few ideas to get you started. Check the bottom of this post for this month’s iPhone screensaver image.
Besides big plans for seasonal produce, my son and I have big plans to enjoy the Christmas season this month. I’m gearing up for a fun filled month with family. We’ll be watching Christmas movies and old black and whites, visiting the Grand America for their very grand Christmas displays, making homemade marshmallows to top our hot cocoa, baking cookies (maybe these or these), reading Christmas stories and advent verses, playing in the snow, and we’ll likely attend a production of the Madeleine Choir. These are just a few of our family’s traditions.
A glorious December awaits us all!
Brussels Sprouts
Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprout Galette with Goat Cheese
Easy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Shredded Brussels Sprout Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette
Sweet Potato Mushroom and Brussels Sprout Hash (pictured above)
Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Hazelnuts
Super Food Bowls with Winter Veggies
Celery Root
Chicken and Root Vegetable Pot Pie
Celery Root and Potato Au Gratin by Cafe Johnsonia
Chestnuts
Roasted Chestnuts (pictured above)
Grapefruit
Winter Citrus and Avocado Kale Salad
Panzanella Salad with Grapefruit, Fennel and Avocado
Kale
One Pan Farro with Tomatoes Sausage and Kale
Kale Caesar Salad with Blueberries and Lemon Ricotta
Leek
Soft Scrambled Eggs with Goat Cheese and Leeks
Lemon
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes (pictured above)
Lemon Beignets with Strawberry Vanilla Sauce
Oranges
Farro Salad with Blood Oranges, Kumquats, and Beets
Parsnips
Chicken and Root Vegetable Pot Pie
Caramelized Pear and Parsnip Soup by Cafe Johnsonia
Root Vegetable Mash by Mountain Mama Cooks
Maple Roasted Carrot and Parsnip Fries by Flavor the Moments
Persimmons
Pomegranate
Pomegranate Cornbread Stuffing
Greek Yogurt Cheesecake with Pomegranate Sauce
Winter Superfood Bowls with Pomegranates (pictured above)
Sweet Potato Baked Oatmeals with Pomegranate
Cranberry Pomegranate Lime Cocktail
Potatoes
Homemade Potato Gnocchi with step by step photos
Sweet Potato, Mushroom and Brussels Sprout Hash
Sweet Potato Black Bean and Corn Salad
Sweet Potato Apple and Cranberry Sauté with Hazelnuts
Sweet Potato, Spinach and Quinoa Soup
Radicchio
Fava Bean and Fennel Risotto with Sautéed Radicchio
Spaghetti with Radicchio and Chèvre by Cafe Johnsonia
Radishes
Chicken Lettuce Wraps topped with Radishes
Farro Pesto Salad with Edamame and Radishes
Radishes with Vegan Coconut Butter by Cafe Johnsonia
Rutabaga
Mashed Rutabaga with Ginger Roasted Pears
Rutabaga Puree by Cafe Johnsonia
Turnips
Mashed Potatoes with Turnips and Sautéed Leeks by Floating Kitchen
Cider-Mustard Glazed Root Vegetables by Cafe Johnsonia
Winter Squash
Roasted Vegetable Chicken Soup (pictured above)
Roasted Chicken with Figs and Butternut Squash
Spicy Butternut Squash Soup with Pumpkin Seed Pesto
Pesto and Burrata Stuffed Acorn Squash
Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprout Galette with Goat Cheese
Acorn Squash Bread with Seeds and Nuts
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Risotto
Squash Casserole with Maple Nut Praline
]]>Gratin made with potatoes and root vegetables are a new must as far as Thanksgiving side dish recipes go. This potato au gratin with gruyere is super cheesy yet also gluten free made with Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour.
Victoria a local chef in Salt Lake City is a genius when it comes to healthy, seasonal recipes. She originally gave me the idea for this delicious root vegetable gratin recipe years ago at a small gathering we created together around holiday dishes. All of her recipes from that evening were amazingly delicious, using seasonal vegetables, and healthy substitutes, but this one was a favorite.
Since then, I’ve been altering this recipe every year, adding this or that, trying out different cheeses, and now also trying with with a gluten free flour. This updated recipe is my favorite thus far. The gruyere cheese really puts it over the top.
When making au gratin from scratch you need a few simple ingredients, root vegetables of any type, cheese and seasonings. The secret to making au gratin from scratch is using a food processor to thinly slice all of the potatoes and root veggies. This speeds up the process tremendously. Make sure and slice up the potatoes right before you’re ready to use them because if you do it too soon then they will start to discolor.
This root vegetable gratin recipe is actually quite simple and the beauty of it is, you can use whatever root vegetables you have on hand.
Instead of the traditional, all potato gratin, this recipe has a blend of several root vegetables. If you don’t have celery root or maybe your just a little uncomfortable with the large gnarly brown root, try the pretty purple and white root vegetable- rutabaga or the slightly bitter turnip. Rutabagas are slightly more sweet, while celery root taste similar to celery but more mellow, and turnips have a flavor similar to horseradish, which my husband loves.
Most au gratin recipes are naturally gluten free. The recipe that I began with years ago has some flour in it to help soak up some of the half and half, and to cause the potatoes and veggie to stick together more. I have since altered it to use Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour which works perfectly find and doesn’t add any extra flavor or texture.
This layered root vegetable gratin has been a crowd pleaser ever since first creating it years ago for our gathering and it has even gotten better over the years.