Celebrate these long lasting winter vegetables

by Peggy Paul Casella Brussels SproutsThe Brussels sprout plant looks like a lanky sea monster: Its thick spine grows straight up from the soil, covered with mini-cabbage “eyes” and dozens of leafy arms. Though the leaves are also edible, like those of fellow Brassicas, the sprouts are the most commonly eaten part of the plant.

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Fermentation author pens book for beginners and experts alike

interview by Katie Bohri Eager to excite your palate and shake up your kitchen routine while adding nutrition and probiotics to your diet? Check out Philadelphia fermenting guru Amanda Feifer’s new book Ferment Your Vegetables. With time, a few vegetables, water and salt—key to keeping bad bacteria at bay—you can make vegetables last longer and

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How To: Make Your Own Tomato Sauce

Liberating yourself from processed and prepackaged food often starts with the small stuff. For me, salad dressing was a game changer. Once I realized how simple it was to make, and started reading the labels on commercial brands (Canola oil as the number one ingredient? Water as number two?!), I could never go back.

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Recipe: Humble and Hearty Vegetable Soup

by Dynise Balcavage, urbanvegan.net
Nothing is as comforting as being snowed in, puttering around the kitchen and making a huge pot of steaming soup. This filling soup uses pantry staples and humble vegetables. It’s a snap to make, nutritious and filling, and you can improvise, depending on what you have on hand. It also freezes well.

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How to Braise

The best thing about cold weather is ending the day with a rich, hot plate of food. So, there is no better time for braising—the low and slow method of cooking that produces deep, comforting flavors. Meat is one of the more obvious choices for braising, but you can also use fish or vegetables.

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Winter Fusion: A twist on an old stand-by

by Allison Kelsey, FarmToPhilly.comThis dish combines the savory melding of long cooking and the fresh, bright flavors of a quick spin on the stove.
Although the recipe is printed here, there’s room to improvise. If you’re not a big fan of mushrooms, substitute a vegetable (just be sure to add at the right time and not

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Mushrooms

Only the hardiest souls flourish in the dead of winter. Far from the glimmer of spring, with little sun and no warmth, most reasonable organisms are hunkered down. Fortunately, mushrooms (like bloggers) don’t have much use for nice weather—they do just fine in the damp darkness of February. So, at a time of year when

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How-To: Cook Dried Beans

Preparing dried beans in three easy stepsby Ed CoffinDried beans are low in fat, high in protein and fiber, and incredibly inexpensive. What keeps most of us from enjoying them is the time and preparation required to make them edible. Fortunately, the process can be simplified into three easy steps that will have you eating

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Book Review: Almost Meatless

Almost Meatless: Recipes That Are Better for Your Health and the Planetby Jay Manning and Tara Mataraza DesmondTen Speed Press; $22.50Traditionally, there has been a great divide between diehard vegetarians and meat eaters, and it is apparent in most modern-day cookbooks.

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