Winter and Healthy Cooking

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.