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
Chickpea and Butternut Squash Stew
Baked Pasta with Squash and Kale
I love this roundup and wish you a wonderful December. Can’t wait to share my recipe!
Thanks so much Becky! Hope you’re enjoying the season as well!
I LOVE this! Thank you for this round up – I am so glad I stumbled upon it! I am thinking of making some kind of dish for my kids teachers – something I could make and they can take home and bake up fresh. I know they get tons of sweets and I thought this would be really thoughtful and a good gift that wont hurt the waist 🙂 Which recipe above do you think would be easiest to do this with? I am not sure of specific tastes but no one has allergies or any special dietary needs.
Ashley, I love giving homemade marshmallows around the holidays. I have a recipe for that here too! Pumpkin bread or gingerbread is also a great gift. Pecan pralines are a favorite of mine too. All of those recipes can be found on here just search Vintage Mixer and the recipe title. Enjoy!
think I;ll still be able to use this list next month, love all of the pomegranate recipes (including the cocktail) and that the potato recipes feature a lot of sweet potatoes, my favorite, so thank you for sharing all of these!
Glad you found the list helpful! A new list comes out Jan 1st so stay tuned 🙂