Living in New England, it can be tough to maintain a varied diet during the deep winter months, while continuing to eat seasonally. But it isn’t impossible, it just requires a bit of creativity.
While most people will on average consume the same 10-15 fruits and vegetables all year long when it comes to eating in a sustainable, seasonal manner that just isn’t going to cut it. We have to step outside of our comfort zone and look at what is being offered to us during that season and let that dictate the meals we will eat, which may or may not be within your typical top-five rotation.
In many ways, we have grown so accustomed to having an endless variety of choices when it comes to our food, that we have begun to lose sight of how unnatural it really is to eat the same things all year long when the seasons and our bodies change. So why don’t we think that our food should change along with it?
I want to change this way of thinking and help to reconnect people, no matter what climate they live in, back to their food and their local food system, and I want to show you how to do it in a place like New England, where virtually nothing grows in the Winter yet we still maintain a varied, exciting, and deliciously healthy diet all year round.
So let’s start with this Winter Rainbow Cabbage Slaw that was made entirely from local produce I picked up at Boston Public Market, a year-round market dedicated to showcasing seasonal, local ingredients from a variety of farmers and merchants. Since most of the vegetables I typically like to use in salads are out of season right now, this cabbage slaw is the perfect substitute for a raw salad side dish at dinner time or makes for a great lunch. I love to make a big batch over the weekend that we will use for a variety of meals all week long.
Winter Rainbow Cabbage Slaw With Lemon Vinaigrette
Serves 6
Ingredients
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1-small head of purple cabbage
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1-small head of green cabbage
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4-carrots
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1/2 red onion
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1 small purple beet
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1 small yellow/orange beet
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1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
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1-lemon (juiced)
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1/4 cup olive oil
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Sea salt + Pepper to Taste
Methods
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Using a mandoline slicer, slice vegetables into small thin pieces.
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Next, place all vegetables in a large bowl, and add the lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt/pepper.
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Mix well until all vegetables are well coated in the vinaigrette.
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Next, sprinkle with pumpkin seeds, and place in the refrigerator for a few hours to marinate, or you can serve immediately.
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Note: You can also chop all the vegetables finely with a knife but a mandoline is a very inexpensive kitchen tool that will transform how you are able to prepare meals
