My Top Three Veggies In Season Now

#1 Brussel Sprouts
The brussel sprout harvest typically lasts through the winter months in New England. This year, Hurricane Irene did leave her mark on on many of New England's winter harvest vegetables.  For brussel sprouts this means they just need a little extra love and attention. You many notice that there are spots on the outside leaves of the brussel sprouts at your local farmers market, don't get discouraged.  The outside leaves just need to be peeled off to reveal the beauty that lies beneath. Trim the ends, but not so short that the good leaves fall off.  Then soak in warm water for about 10 minutes. My favorite way to cook brussel sprouts is to slice them in half, toss them with EVOO, and salt and pepper to taste, then roast them at 350 degrees until tender and the outside leaves are just beginning to brown.

#2 Sunchokes (Jerusalem Artichoke)
Sunchokes have a harvest from mid October through the spring, yet another great winter vegetable.  They remind me of a mix between water chestnuts and potatoes. This root vegetable is knobby but this is not indicative of its quality.  I do find that the smoother they are the easier they are to prepare.  Just like the brussel sprouts they are best roasted. For a sweeter dish roast them with maple syrup and lotus root. Last week I roasted some until they were crisp on the edges and used them to top my salad. Perfect with a homemade blackbean veggie burger!.

#3 Persimmon
 The persimmon season runs from November to February, so its relatively short. The secret to persimmons is to make sure they are ripe.  You will regret it if you don't. Persimmons are kind of like eating deodorant and chalk mixed together when they are not ripe. SO make sure they are ripe!!! Hachiya persimmons look like an orange acorn and will be very soft and squish when they are ripe, like a very over ripe tomato. Fuyu persimmons are more tomato shaped and are ripe when they are firm but yet give slightly to the touch.  Like a peach.  Last week I made an avocado salad with hachiya persimmons and a miso citrus dressing. I peeled my persimmon because the skin is a little tough. For the dressing I mixed 1 tablespoon of white miso with 2 tablespoons of warm water, 1 tsp yuzu vinegar, 1 tbs EVOO, a squeeze of lemon, and salt and pepper to taste.