Week 10 · Kitchen

Eat the stored season

Edible Landscapes

Winter cooking uses the planning you did in autumn — pumpkins in the shed, frozen plum pouches, garlic from June planting not yet ready but last year’s bulbs in braids. These recipes assume homegrown or local market basics, not chef pantry perfectionism.

Root vegetable soup (flexible)

  1. Sweat onion and garlic

    Pot with oil until soft — add cumin or rosemary if you have it.

  2. Add chopped roots

    Carrot, parsnip, potato, kūmara — whatever stores clean; cover with stock or water.

  3. Simmer until tender

    Blend smooth or leave chunky; season at end.

  4. Serve with herb oil

    Parsley or rosemary in olive oil — brightens grey days.

If summer preserving did not happen, support local — winter farmers markets still run in many towns.

Quick pickle for surplus winter brassica stems: Slice thin, salt lightly, rice vinegar and honey — refrigerator pickle eaten within two weeks.