As the months get colder, vegetables get more expensive. We all know we need to eat our five plus a day, so to avoid blowing the budget, eat in season. You’ll get the best prices and who knows, you might be surprised about what you enjoy eating.
Leeks Leeks are from the onion family and do have a very mild onion flavour. They’re great sliced, steamed and served with white sauce, chopped in stir-fries or just steamed and eaten plain. Nutritionally, leeks are a good source of vitamin C, folate and B vitamins and they also contain some iron, vitamin E and potassium. For soup lovers, leek and potato soup is a popular way to use leeks.
To prepare, chop off the top green stalks and rinse. Sometimes it’s necessary to peel off the first layer if it is very muddy or damaged.
Brussels Sprouts Before you avoid reading this section, stop! Most of us remember being forced to down soggy, mushy brussel sprouts as children and gag just thinking about them, but the past year or two I’ve eaten brussels sprouts and actually enjoyed them. The key is not to overcook them - cook them in a steamer, or cut them in half and add to stir fries. They are nice mixed with broccoli and a little cheese sauce.
Brussel sprouts are nutrient rich. They’re a rich source of antioxidants and phytochemicals, plus they’re an excellent source of vitamin C, fibre, folate and other B group vitamins and vitamin E. They also supply small but significant amounts of calcium, iron, potassium and phosphorus.
Cabbage Although you can buy it all year round, cabbage is traditionally a winter vegetable. Most of us associate cabbage with coleslaw but there are plenty of ways to enjoy it during winter.
Finely slice cabbage and stir fry with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Cabbage is yummy mixed with silverbeet and lemon juice and also good just steamed by itself.
Cabbages are a good way to get your daily fix of Vitamin C and are also a good source of fibre and folate. Cabbage also contains some B group vitamins, calcium, potassium and iron and they’re a rich source of many phytochemicals.
Chinese Greens Chinese greens such as bok choy are cold-hardy and grow well during winter, so are often reasonably priced. All types of bok choy are suitable for quick cooking methods such as steaming and stir-frying. You can use them in place of spinach or cabbage. Try it stir-fried with oyster sauce and beef for a simple Chinese dish. They’re are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A, iron and antioxidants.
Brussels Sprouts
Chinese Greens