Apples, garlic, cabbage, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets and onions are some of the fresh foods in season this month.
Greenhouse vegetables including tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and cucumbers are available year round.
If you expand this list to include imported produce, then all the citrus fruits are in season. Cauliflower, broccoli, leeks, fennel and bok choy are available on the produce shelf.
February is also time to dig into the freezer and cold room for the bounty of preserved foods from last summer. Try to use most of it every season so it stays current. Freezer burn sets in after about 12 months or less for most foods and the new snap canning lids are only guaranteed to hold their seal for about 18 months.
Tomato soup
Finish this soup in any way you wish — leave it chunky, puree it or add cream. When adding dairy to tomatoes a pinch of baking soda stirred into the tomato mixture will even out the pH and prevent the milk from curdling. Or use heavy cream. Heavy cream, labelled as whipping cream, doesn’t curdle when added to tomatoes.
- 2 tbsp. butter or cooking oil 30 mL
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 28 oz. can diced tomatoes or an equal amount of frozen tomatoes 800 mL
- 2 c. chicken or vegetable stock 500 mL
- 1/4 tsp. dried oregano 1 mL
- salt
- pepper
- pinch baking soda, optional
- heavy cream, optional
Finely chop the onion and sauté in butter or cooking oil. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute. Add tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer for an hour to develop the flavour.
Heat to simmering and serve.
Grilled carrots with maple Dijon dressing
Use this same dressing when roasting beets, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes and even on chicken, pork or salmon. It may be worth keeping some on hand in the refrigerator.
It’s versatile. Make it into a vinaigrette by whisking in white wine vinegar. The ratio for a vinaigrette is three parts of this dressing to one part vinegar.
- 1/4 c. maple syrup 60 mL
- 1/4 c. canola oil 60 mL
- 1 tbsp. Dijon style mustard 15 mL
- 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme 5 mL/2 mL
- 1/2 tsp. salt 2 mL
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper 2 mL
- 1 lb. carrots 500 g
In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup, mustard, thyme, salt and pepper. Then as you continue to whisk, drizzle in the oil. This method will form an emulsion that won’t allow the ingredients to separate out in layers. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.
Prepare carrots by washing and peeling, if necessary. If they are from your garden and in the freezer, just thaw in a shallow oven-proof pan. Brush carrots with the dressing and roast until done to your liking. Serve as a side dish or on a winter salad of hearty greens.
Balsamic glazed cipollini onions
Easy to make balsamic glazed cipollini onions are the perfect and elegant accompaniment to roasted meats and vegetables. This delicious side dish has a balance of savory, sweet and retains some of its crunch.
- 1 lb. cipollini onions 500 g
- 1 tbsp. olive oil 15 mL
- 1 1/2 tbsp. butter 22 mL
- 2 tbsp. aged balsamic vinegar 30 mL
- 1 sprig thyme or a sprinkle of dried thyme
- 1/4– 1/2 tsp. sugar 1-2 mL
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt plus more to taste, if necessary 1 mL
- 1 1/2 tbsp. water 22 mL
Fill a small pot with enough water to cover the onions and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
After the water is boiling, add onions and cook for two minutes, drain and cool. Using a paring knife, remove roots, ends and peel.
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add olive oil and butter. Add onions and lower heat to medium. Cook for three minutes or until bottoms are caramelized, then flip and repeat, and add thyme.
Add balsamic vinegar, sugar, water and kosher salt. Cover the pan and leave for two minutes. Remove lid and gently stir onions and cook until liquid has slightly reduced. Serve.
Polish dill pickle soup
This is essentially a potato soup with dill pickles. If you wish, this can be pureed with a hand-held immersion blender or in a food processor to make a creamy soup.
Because this soup contains sour cream, if you freeze it and reheat it, it won’t fare so well. The soup will likely become grainy upon reheating. Instead, if you want to freeze the soup, set some of it aside before adding the sour cream, freeze that portion, and then add the sour cream upon reheating.
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter 30 mL
- 1 medium onion, halved pole to pole and thinly sliced
- 4 c. chicken or vegetable stock 1 L
- 2 large garlic dill pickles, chopped
- 1/3 c. pickle juice, or water
- 4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch/1 cm cubes
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch/1 cm cubes
- 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour 30 mL
- 1 c. sour cream 250 mL
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- chopped fresh dill or dried dill, garnish
- hearty rye bread, for serving
Melt butter in a large pot. Sauté the onion until translucent, about three minutes.
Add broth, pickles, pickle juice, carrots and potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
In a small bowl, blend flour with sour cream.
Temper the sour cream mixture to gently warm it up by whisking in a little hot soup, so it does not curdle.
Pour tempered sour cream back into the hot soup, whisking constantly, until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer three minutes, or until slightly thickened.
Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, and optional sugar.
At this point, the soup can be left chunky or puréed to a velvety consistency.
Serve in heated bowls garnished with optional chopped fresh or dried dill and accompanied with hearty rye bread.
Sarah Galvin is a home economist, teacher and avid supporter of local food producers. She has been a market vendor, grew up on a farm in southeastern Saskatchewan and is a member of TEAM Resources.
