As we head into winter next month it’s time to welcome back all of those hearty stews, delicious soups and fragrant curries that we’ve been bypassing the last few months in favour of cooler menus. While the beautiful seafood, the interesting salads and the crisp cocktails are fun for summer, there’s nothing like hunkering down with a warm bowl, a good glass of red wine and staying in with your friends or family, so I’m here to give you a little bit of inspiration to kick-start your winter cooking adventures.

Seasonal Ingredients
No matter what time of year, it is always better to use produce that is in season. You’ll find it’s fresher because it hasn’t been flown in from another climate area, more flavoursome and less likely to be filled with chemicals that have been trying to fight with the natural surroundings. As we head into winter, you should be cooking:

• Veggies. Packing your meals with hearty winter vegetables is a great way to keep your immunity up in the ‘flu season, and a great way to cheaply bulk out your meals as you carefully watch your spending in the lead up to your wedding. Look for winter veggies such as Asian greens, kale, snow peas spinach or silver beet which are all delicious lightly blanched or quickly wilted in a pan with some butter or garlic.
• Roasting. You’ve probably been avoiding turning on the oven in summer, but now’s the time for a slow roast or to dust off your slow cooker or pressure cooker. Add in warming winter favourites like carrot, broad beans, mushrooms, parsnips, leeks, sweet potato or pumpkin.
• Soups. Use a beautiful snow white cauliflower to give delicious texture to a chowder, or experiment with your potato soups from minestrone to chicken noodle.

• Sweet. Don’t forget to treat yourself with a sweet end to your meal, or an afternoon of baking as an escape. Apple and rhubarb are both at their best in winter and just waiting to become a pie or crumble. Oranges, grapefruit and kiwi can join forces to become a bright winter fruit salad, and you can dress them with some lemon, lime and mint to brighten your winter day.

Getting into the kitchen is also a great way to warm up, as you fill your home with winter warming meals and inhale that unique smell of comfort food. Yum!

Until next time,

Love,
Cindy

Cindy Westphalen owns and operates award winning catering business, Cindy’s Classic Gourmet.