Local food sourcing for the home cook is incredibly easy in the Spring and Summer months.  It is truly stunning at what we can find at our local farm markets.  But alas, Winter arrives.  It feels like a punch in the fresh flavor gut.  What can we do if we want to use more local food?  If you think about it, back in the day, cooks would resort to using lots of different root vegetables.  They might look like a difficult task to undertake but the end result is always a beautiful thing.  Below is a great recipe I did a few years ago on  the local Grand Rapids WZZM Better Bites segment.  Now is a great time to share it again as it is truly a tasty bowl of root vegetable goodness.  Enjoy!

Root Vegetable Stew
1 Beet, peeled and cubed
1 Turnip peeled and cubed
1 Parsnip peeled and cubed
2 Carrot peeled and cubed
2 cups of cubed butternut squash
1 bulb of garlic
1 medium onion diced
1 lb. ground turkey Heffron Farms is a good local source
1 Tsp chopped rosemary
1 Tsp chopped thyme
2 tsp chopped sage
2 TB lite soy sauce
3 cups vegetable stock plus 1 more if needed
1 Cup red dry wine
1 8oz can tomato paste
Salt and Pepper to taste
 
Pre-Heat Oven to 375.  Cut top off bulb of garlic, toss in a tsp of olive oil and wrap in aluminum foil.  Roast for 30 minutes or until soft.  Let cool and squeeze garlic out and reserve.
 
Toss beets, turnip, butternut squash, parsnip and carrot in 2 tsp of extra virgin olive oil, place on cookie sheet pan and roast for 35 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
 
In a medium sized stock pot, place 1 tb of extra virgin olive oil into the pan, turn heat to medium high.  Add onion and stir.  Cook to medium brown color.  Add Turkey, brown turkey.  As turkey cooks, chop roasted garlic into a paste.  Add to pan.  Once turkey is cooked, add wine.  Bring to boil.  Add vegetable stock and herbs, simmer for 15 minutes.  Add roasted vegetables and tomato paste.  Simmer for 2 minutes.  Add 1 tsp salt and pepper.  Add more if necessary.  Garnish with green onions sliced thin and shaved parmesan.  Serve with crusty whole grain bread.

Soup is the key to my food heart in the tundra like cold of winter.  I make various types 3 times a week for my family.  They get tired of it but I never do.  I eat leftovers for breakfast each day!  I prefer it over cereal if given a choice. I must admit though, sometimes my soups get a bit heavy.  There are vegetables but higher in carbs and fat.  Just recently I was on eightWest on WOOD TV 8 discussing healthy options for standard comfort foods.  As a Personal Chef in the Grand Rapids and West Michigan area, I pride myself on making recipes for a wide range of dietary needs.  I can prepare a full flavored no holds barred recipe as well as putting a tasty healthy twist.  Below are two recipes for corn chowder.  They are similar but you will notice a bit of a twist to lessen the carbohydrates as well as increase the fiber.  They are both great recipes worthy of a side by side comparison.  Enjoy!

Corn Chowder
6 Ears of Corn, Corn removed, reserve cob for corn stock
8 Slices of bacon, cooked, reserve bacon fat
½ onion diced fine
3 cloves of garlic chopped
1 stalk of celery diced
2 carrots diced
2 medium potatoes, skin left on, diced
1 ½ quarts corn stock
8 sprigs of fresh thyme, tied into bundle with string
1 bay leaf
4 scallions (green onion) sliced thin
1 cup of heavy cream
3 tb flour
3 tb olive oil
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp cracked pepper
 

• Remove corn from cob in a large bowl.  Set corn aside.  Place cobs in a pot, add 2 quarts of water, let simmer on stove for 1 hour.  Remove cobs, strain stock into a bowl with a fine mesh strainer
• Chop cooked bacon, reserve in a bowl.  Pour bacon grease into a stock pot.  Turn heat to medium high.  Add onion, garlic, carrot and celery.  Stir often and cook for 3 minutes.  Add diced potato, corn stock, thyme, bay leaf and bring to a rolling boil but not rapid boil.  Cook until carrots and potatoes are cooked (approx 15 minutes).  Add salt and pepper.
• In a small pan, put in the olive oil and flour.  Stir roux until fully mixed.  Heat on medium high heat.  Once it begins to bubble, stir often for 3 minutes, remove from heat and set aside.
• Once potatoes and carrots are cooked, add corn and cream.  Bring to a light boil.  Remove thyme and bay leaf.  Add all the roux to the pot.   Stir until chowder is thickened.  Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
• Ladle chowder into bowls, garnish with bacon and scallions.

Low Carb Low Fat Corn Chowder
6 Ears of Corn, Corn removed, reserve cob for corn stock*
2 Slices of bacon, cooked, reserve bacon fat**
½ onion diced fine
4 cloves of garlic chopped
1 stalk of celery diced
3 carrots diced
2 medium potatoes, skin left on, diced
2 quarts corn stock
8 individual sprigs of fresh thyme, tied into bundle with string
2 tsp hot sauce
1 bay leaf
4 cups peeled and chopped celery root
1 leek, washed and trimmed, white and mild green parts only
1/3 to 1/2 cup skim milk
4 scallions (green onion) sliced thin
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp cracked pepper
 
Directions:   Remove corn from cob in a large bowl.  Set corn aside.  Place cobs in a pot, add 2 quarts of water, let simmer on stove for 1 hour.  Remove cobs, strain stock into a bowl with a fine mesh strainer
Cut bacon into 4 pieces.  In a sauce pan, cover leeks and celery root with water until they are just floating.  Place on stove and bring to a small boil.  Once bacon is crisp, remove.  Turn heat to medium high.  Add onion, garlic, carrot and celery.  Stir often and cook for 3 minutes.  Add diced potato, corn stock, thyme, bay leaf and bring to a rolling boil but not rapid boil.  Cook until carrots and potatoes are cooked (approx 15 minutes). 
Once celery root is tender, drain, place in a blender or food processor, add milk and puree until smooth. 
Remove bay leaf and thyme, add celery root puree and stir into pot until smooth.  Bring to a light boil.  Add corn, hot sauce,  taste and add pinch of salt and pepper.
Ladle chowder into bowls, garnish scallions.

I love appearing on Television.  Not because of "Oh, look at me!" but because I have an awesome time sharing recipes live to whomever is watching.  What these segments do is challenge me to come up with fun new recipes which sometimes have me reinventing some classic dishes.  Take today, January 10, 2018....I tasked myself with coming up with truly healthy comfort foods.  That phrases is an oxymoron.  Those two things are not supposed to go together.  BUT...they can and should.  Is it the same?  No.  Does it taste good?????  YES!  Click the picture so you can go to the eightWest website and check out the recipes!