how to make the most out of your [winter] garden.

a winter vegetable garden.

eating in season is something a lot of us strive for and rightfully so. there are many factors that collectively make seasonal eating a much more sustainable choice. these include fewer food miles, reduced pesticide use and minimal storage. these same factors make for fresher produce which ultimately means more flavour too. on a health front, seasonal fruit and vegetables are more nutrient-dense because a lot of vitamins are heat, light and time-sensitive. this winter chose vegetables that are at their peak now to base your meals around. these include the whole brassica, allium, and umbellifer family of plants as well as lots of hearty root vegetables. luckily these vegetables lend themselves well to warming comfort foods and can be made into a myriad of soups and stews, perfect to be enjoyed during the cooler months.

less pesticides.

environmentally speaking, one of the main and less obvious concerns about growing vegetables that aren’t in season is pesticide usage. when plants are grown at unnatural times of the year they require more help in the form of pesticides. for example, broccoli grown in warmer months requires spraying against the cabbage moth, which is dormant in the cooler months when broccoli is at its peak. seasonal food is sold close to the time it is picked and therefore doesn’t require a long wait in a cool room before hitting the shelves. this saves on enormous amounts of electricity being used to power huge fridges, which can sometimes store fruit and vegetables for months before it is sold.

more flavour and nutrients.

fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables are much more nutrient-dense than conventional produce which has been stored for a long time before getting to your kitchen. this is because for non-seasonal produce to be available all year round, it must be stored in fridges for weeks and months in which time many of the fragile nutrients can be lost. a lot of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables are water-soluble and these are the kind most sensitive, and become unstable after being picked. as the vitamins degrade, so does the flavour of fruit and vegetables, so not only is seasonal produce healthier it is also always more delicious.  

winter vegetable list.

in the brassica family is; broccoli, cauliflower; radish, cabbage and kale. The allium family consists of; leeks, onions (including red onions, brown onions, and spring onions), shallots, garlic. and the umbellifers are; carrots, fennel, parsley, celery, coriander. other standout crops for winter are; peas, potatoes, lettuce, and in mild climates beetroots also.

all these plant families prefer winter to grow for one common reason. too much heat leads to the plant feeling stressed which causes them to rush to reproduce as quickly as possible. in order to do this, they bolt to seed, meaning they send up a seed head before fully developing. for brassicas, there is the added benefit of not being exposed to the cabbage moths who need the summer warmth to hatch out of their cocoons.

winter fruit list.

the star of winter fruit is the citrus family which includes oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit. this is perfect timing for boosting our immune systems with vitamin c when we need it the most. other fruits that are in season over winter include kiwi fruit and apples, of which some varieties can extend from autumn into winter.

where and how to buy.

the best place to access the freshest seasonal fruit and vegetables is straight from the growers themselves. try to find your local farmer’s markets, not only will you find the freshest produce you will more than likely find this to be an affordable option as well. if you do not have access to a farmer’s market and or are limited to large format supermarkets, don’t be too concerned they will stock seasonal fruit and vegetables through the year. if you buy from the larger format supermarkets, try to still buy in season, use the above list of fruit and vegetables to buy in the winter months. june to august are peak however, about 1 month on either side of them you can be comfortable that it is seasonal and fresh.

olive wood vegan is the brainchild of katie white, a west australian born singer songwriter turned vegan chef and food photographer. passionate about eating from the heart for a more sustainable life, katie was one of the first to be accepted into the plant based culinary arts, le cordon bleu diploma. katie shares with her community just how easy it is to create simple, beautiful and delicious, garden to plate seasonal vegan food. katie writes and sings about her love of animals, gardening, harvesting, and cooking on instagram and facebook or olive wood vegan.