What’s in Season? February Produce

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Hello from Austin, Texas! Ali and I left snowy Kansas City yesterday morning and drove eleven hours south. It was a long day. I watched the sun slowly cross the sky from left to right as the pickup trucks got bigger and bigger. We made it!

We’re getting settled in for our month away from home and I can’t wait to go explore this city. You can follow along on Instagram if you’re so inclined. We’re using the hashtag #aliandkatetakeaustin.

Below, you’ll find my monthly guide to February produce, as well as a handy graphic at the bottom that you can pin for reference. And for more seasonal recipes, follow my winter recipes board on Pinterest. Thanks again to Becky for letting me base this resource on her “Eat Seasonal” monthly seasonal produce lists.

broccoli

As it turns out, broccoli is totally irresistible once roasted with olive oil and sea salt. Like all brassicas, broccoli goes great with garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes and other bold flavors. Select small, tightly packed florets with minimal brown spots. Broccoli elsewhere:

• Asian Quinoa Broccoli Slaw by Mountain Mama Cooks
• Ginger Broccoli with Forbidden Rice by A House in the Hills
• Roasted Broccoli Grilled Cheese by Two Peas and Their Pod
• Simple, Salty, Sweet + Nutty Broccoli Soba by The First Mess

View more C+K broccoli recipes ↣

Brussels Sprouts

My beloved Brussels sprouts are still in season! These poor baby cabbages have been maligned for years because someone decided to boil them to soggy, sulfurous deaths. I absolutely love roasted, caramelized Brussels and super crispy fried sprouts that I order at restaurants every chance I can get. I like to shred sprouts in my food processor and use them in slaws—they’re more fine and less watery than their full-sized cabbage cousins. Brussels Sprouts elsewhere:

• Brown Butter Brussels Sprouts Pasta with Hazelnuts by Two Peas and Their Pod
• Brussels Sprouts Potato Gratin by Cafe Johnsonia
• Maple Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts by Love and Lemons
• Super Food Bowls by Vintage Mixer

View more C+K Brussels sprout recipes ↣

cabbage

I just learned that cabbage is in season all year long! Cousin to broccoli, this potent anti-cancerous cruciferous vegetable is great raw, in slaws, roasted in pieces, or chopped and sautéed with olive oil and garlic. Select cabbages with compact heads that feel heavy for the their size. Cabbage generally keeps for a pretty long time in the vegetable crisper, so it’s a good ingredient to keep on hand. Cabbage elsewhere:

• Kale and Cabbage Coleslaw with Marcona Almonds by Foodie Crush
• Pasilla Chile and Lime Cabbage Slaw by Sprouted Kitchen
• Sesame-Crusted Avocado and Cabbage Spring Rolls by Naturally Ella
• Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos with Cilantro Cabbage Slaw by Mountain Mama Cooks

View more C+K cabbage recipes ↣

cauliflower

Cauliflower: Trendy since 2012, good for you since forever! Roasting cauliflower with olive oil and sea salt transforms the cruciferous vegetable from bland to French fry irresistible. You can also pulse raw cauliflower in the food processor to give it a rice- or couscous-like texture. I was skeptical about cauliflower crust pizza, but it can actually be pretty good! Cauliflower elsewhere:

• Cauliflower and Roasted Garbanzo “Rice and Peas” by The First Mess
• Raw Cauliflower “Couscous” Greek Salad by Vintage Mixer
• Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Tacos by Two Peas and Their Pod
• Shaved Cauliflower Salad by Happyolks

View more C+K cauliflower recipes ↣

Citrus fruits

Citrus shows up every year when the sky goes gray and we’re in desperate need of some bright color. You can find some great grapefruit, lemon, orange, clementine and tangerine in stores right now. I use lemon in my favorite salad dressing, it tastes so fresh! Citrus fruits elsewhere:

• Beet, Kale, and Kohlrabi Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette by A Couple Cooks
• Kale Citrus Salad with Orange Tahini Dressing by Edible Perspective
• Preserved Lemon Quinoa with Shaved Brussels and Toasted Walnuts by Simple Bites
• Sparkling Grapefruit Sangria by How Sweet Eats

View more C+K lemon recipes ↣

fennel

Licorice-flavored fennel can be an acquired taste, but I can’t get enough of the crisp texture and delicate flavor. I like to shave raw fennel super fine for salads and slaws, which is made easier with a mandoline. Fennel elsewhere:

• Fennel And Apple Salad With Toasted Fennel Vinaigrette by Not Without Salt
• Grilled Fennel and Quinoa Salad by The First Mess
• Pasta With Fennel, Arugula and Lemon by Sprouted Kitchen
• Spanish Carrots with Fennel, Toasted Hazelnuts and Slide Ridge Honey Wine Vinegar by Vintage Mixer

kale

We all love kale, and for good reason! It’s tremendously good for you and totally delicious, given the right preparation. Chop kale for stir-fries or a side of greens (sauté in olive oil and garlic), or massage it with a dash of salt for salads (see any of my kale salads for further instruction), or lightly coat roughly chopped kale with olive oil and roast it for kale chips. You can also blend kale into smoothies or juice it. Kale elsewhere:

• Kale, Spinach and Pear Smoothies by Joy the Baker
• Kale Caesar Salad with Crispy Garbanzo Bean Croutons by Mountain Mama Cooks
• Kale with Japanese Sesame Dressing by Yummy Supper
• Mushroom and Kale Grilled Cheese by Foodie Crush

View more C+K kale recipes ↣

Leeks

I’ve cooked with leeks before, but they haven’t made it to the blog yet. Leeks are related to onions and garlic and have a mild, oniony flavor. They grow in bundled “leaf sheaths” that look similar to celery stalks. You probably won’t want to cook with the dark green parts, which are pretty tough. They’re pretty difficult to clean because dirt gets in between the sheaths. Here’s how to clean them. Leeks elsewhere:

• Braised Leeks and Muscovado Lentils by Sprouted Kitchen
• Lemony Leeks with Chickpeas and Feta by My New Roots
• Quinoa with Leeks and Herbs by A Couple Cooks
• Roasted Cauliflower and Leek Soup by Love and Lemons

 

parsnips

Parsnips are root vegetables that look like off-white carrots with parsley-like, leafy tops. Unsurprisingly, they’re related to both carrots and parsley. Parsnips are usually served roasted or cooked, but can also be eaten raw. They’re particularly high in potassium. I don’t have any parsnip recipes (yet), but I’ll work on that! Parsnips elsewhere:

• Root Vegetable Salad with Pearl Couscous and Lemon-Tahini Dressing by Naturally Ella (shown above!)
• Paprika Parsnip Fries with Preserved Lemon Cashew Cream Sauce by A House in the Hills
• Parsnip Cake with Cardamom Cream by The Vanilla Bean Blog
• Parsnip Parmesan Truffle Fries by Climbing Grier Mountain

 

potatoes

Who doesn’t love a crispy potato? I sure do. Roasting cubes of potatoes brings out way more flavor than boiling them. Varieties outside of the standard Russet (especially the more colorful potatoes) tend to offer more nutritional value. Buy organic! Potatoes elsewhere:

• Crispy Salt and Vinegar Fingerling Potatoes with Fresh Chives by Climbing Greer Mountain
• Easy Garlic Mashed Potatoes by Vintage Mixer
• Potato Breakfast Gratin with Red Peppers & Parmesan by The Kitchn
• Roasted Potato and Paprika Chickpea Salad by A House in the Hills

View more C+K potato recipes ↣

radishes

How I love radishes! Raw, chopped radishes lend a spicy crunch to salads and makes a great garnish for fresh Mexican meals. I often prefer radishes to raw red onion, which can easily overwhelm other raw ingredients. Whole, raw, spicy radishes served with butter and flaky salt are an incredibly simple and delicious appetizer. I also love pickled radishes, but the verdict is still out on roasted radishes. Radishes elsewhere:

• Breakfast Tacos with Avocado Radish Salsa by The Year in Food
• Charred Corn Tacos With Zucchini-Radish Slaw by Smitten Kitchen
• Radish and Egg Salad Sandwiches by A Couple Cooks
• Super Simple Radish Salad with Crème Fraiche by Yummy Supper

View more C+K radish recipes ↣

Sweet Potatoes

I used to hate sweet potatoes! Then I tried a savory sweet potato fry and changed my tune. I still don’t enjoy sweetened sweet potatoes (marshmallow sweet potato casserole, no thank you), but I could live off of salted, caramelized, roasted sweet potato. I especially love Mexican-style sweet potatoes with black beans, salsa verde and hot sauce! Sweet potatoes elsewhere:

• Crispy Sweet Potato Roast by Smitten Kitchen
• Miso-Maple Sweet Potato Tacos by Love and Lemons
• Sweet Potato Granola by Minimalist Baker
• Vanilla Bean Sweet Potato Waffles by Joy the Baker

View more C+K sweet potato recipes ↣

Turnips

Well, turnips are still foreign to me. Turnips look like white radishes. They often have a cute blush of pink or purple near the top, where the sunlight hit the turnip while it was still in the ground. The larger the turnip, the more intense the flavor. From what I can gather, you’ll probably appreciate the turnip flavor more once it’s been cooked. Turnips elsewhere:

• Sesame-Roasted Turnips with Barley (shown above!) by Naturally Ella
• Lentil and Turnip Soup with Pounded Walnuts by Turntable Kitchen
• Sweet Potato and Parsnip Latkes by Kitchen Confidante
• Turnip Gratin with Blue Cheese by Bijouxs

 

winter squash

True to its name, winter squash is still in season! I’ve seen butternut, delicata, spaghetti, acorn and kabocha lately. Most winter squash (like butternut and kabocha, but not delicata) have thick skins that usually need to be removed. Squash elsewhere:

• Butternut Squash Black Bean Tostadas by Two Peas and Their Pod
• Ginger Butternut Squash Soup by Naturally Ella
• Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Risotto by Vintage Mixer
• Vegan Butternut Squash Queso by The First mess

View more C+K butternut squash recipes ↣

Looking for an ingredient that didn’t make the list? Check my new ingredient index for relevant recipes.

More resources you might appreciate: 16 recipes that pack well for lunch (see also, lunch packing tips), 14 simple weeknight dinners and your 10 favorite recipes from 2014.