Chase away the chill with the full flavour and healthy boost of organic winter vegetables

The ever-increasing range of organic winter vegetables now available, both imported and home-grown, means that it has never been easier to choose organic, whatever the season.

Celery
Chinese leaves
Dark greens
Leeks
Mushrooms
Potatoes
Pre-prepared vegetables
Sprouting seeds
Squashes
Watercress
Winter roots
Winter salads

Celery
Organic celery has good flavour and a loud crunch. It is perfect for crudités and is one of the best vegetables for adding flavour to casseroles and salads. Widely grown in the UK, it is also imported from Spain and Israel. British home-grown organic is best, especially the deep-green varieties, which have superb flavour, although the outside stalks may be tougher. Celery stores well for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
Cook’s tip. Use the outside leaves and stalks for juicing, or in soups and stocks. Scatter the tender inner leaves, finely chopped, over salads and pork dishes.

Chinese leaves
Box schemes often contain a mixed assortment of peppery Chinese leafy vegetables such as mizuna, pak choi, mustard, komatsuna, and chrysanthemum greens. Examine the leaves and use as soon as possible. Small, tender leaves are good for salads; otherwise, shred and stir-fry for a couple of minutes with ginger, garlic and soy sauce, or with a sweet-and-sour Chinese sauce.

Dark greens
These include organic cabbages, purple and white sprouting broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spring greens, Swiss chard, spinach beet and vivid green and purple kales. When freshly harvested, all are generally superb. All, too, contain fistfuls of vitamins and antioxidants. Always a favourite gardener’s vegetable, and popular on the continent thanks to box schemes, organic Swiss chard is becoming more common in the UK and is now being grown for supermarkets. Organic Brussels sprouts often come attached to their stalks – a sure sign of freshness. Organic cabbages will store well for a week or so in the refrigerator. Other greens should be eaten in their prime. You may well find the odd insect lurking within, so remember to check them carefully.
Cook’s tip. All greens should be cooked either very quickly – shredding and stir-frying is fast and easy – or long and slowly. For something different, briefly blanch Swiss chard or any kind of broccoli, drain, then cook very slowly in olive oil, chilli and garlic. Season with salt, drizzle with extra olive oil and eat as a side dish.

Leeks
One of the best winter vegetables, organic leeks often come with more green flat (leaves) and, if freshly dug, will probably need careful washing. They are available from early autumn onwards. The outer tough green flags on leeks should be discarded, but the inner green leaves can be cooked with the white part.
Cook’s tip. For a delicious and easy dish, slice the leeks and cook very slowly in organic olive oil with chopped organic red pepper for 40 minutes, or until meltingly soft, adding a little chopped rosemary if you wish.

Mushrooms
The development of organic cultivated mushrooms has been a great success, though changes to European Union regulation may mean we shall shortly have fewer available. At the moment, they are an organic stalwart, readily available all year round, and a good first choice for everyone. Varieties include organic brown caps, buttons, pleurotes and shiitake (grown on logs). Apart from the latter, they are cultivated naturally on composted straw in specialised mushroom sheds and take five to six weeks to grow. Cultivating mushrooms organically requires the highest standards with the spent compost being recycled for use as a soil conditioner and fertiliser.
Cook’s tip. Mushrooms need to breathe because they deteriorate quickly when stored in plastic wrap or bags. Take them out of their wrapping and store in a brown paper bag in the refrigerator or loose on a plate lined with kitchen paper.

The differences that count
• In organic mushroom production there is a total absence of the many different chemicals that are approved for use in conventional mushroom-growing sheds.
• Up to four times as many people are employed to monitor organic mushrooms.
• Any sign of disease is removed by hand.
• Only biodegradable disinfectants are used to clean the sheds between crops.

Potatoes
Taste tests consistently show that many people find organic potatoes to be superior in flavour. If you eat the skins, always choose organic, since these are not sprayed with any post-harvest insecticides or sprout suppressants – although remember that this means that the potatoes will not keep as long. Organic potatoes are easy to find. Popular commercial varieties include Nicola, Santé and Cara. Local growers and box schemes often sell traditional and heritage varieties. Organic potatoes are imported from Germany, Holland, Austria, Spain and France and organic new potatoes from Egypt, Israel, Italy and Morocco.
Cook’s tip. Potatoes must be stored properly – thick brown paper bags are best – and kept in the dark at all times.

Pre-prepared vegetables
Ready-cut organic vegetables, such as broccoli spears and runner beans, are becoming widely available in supermarkets. As with salad packs, washing in chlorine solutions is forbidden. Frozen organic vegetables are also available from supermarkets and organic shops.

Sprouting seeds
These are the healthiest and easiest way to add vitamins to your winter salads. Look out for organic beansprouts, alfalfa, chickpeas and mixed-bean sprouts in the chilled cabinet of the supermarket. Use them as soon as possible.

Squashes
Squashes are the winter vegetables par excellence. They store well until spring, have a rich, satisfying flavour, a dense, smooth texture, are highly nutritious and are easily digestible too. The orange-fleshed varieties such as Kabocha and Crown Prince are the best. Organic squashes are easy to grow at home and are a popular box-scheme vegetable. They are also sold in supermarkets and are now imported from New Zealand.
Cook’s tip. Squashes make superlative soups and purées, and are excellent when cut into wedges, brushed with olive oil, and simply roasted.

Watercress
Organic watercress is a winter bonus and a ‘superfood’ that packs a healthy punch. Traditional grower John Hurd’s organic watercress, grown completely naturally and cut by hand, is available from March to December in supermarkets and organic shops.
Cook’s tip. Watercress lasts only two to three days, and is best kept boxed in the refrigerator. Pick it over carefully. Chopped watercress adds a peppery kick to salads, salsas or pestos, and is good scattered over fish or chicken dishes.

Winter roots
Taste freshly dug organic carrots, parsnips, beetroots or celeriac and you will rediscover the true earthy sweetness of root vegetables. Carrots are the most popular organic vegetables and are imported from various countries, including Holland, Austria, Spain, Italy and France, so they are easy to find all year round. Unwashed roots last better than washed ones and all should be stored dry, in the dark, or in the refrigerator, and removed from any plastic bags first.
Cook’s tip. Finely grating root vegetables brings out their sweetness. To make an instant health-giving winter salad, grate whatever mixture of roots you like, along with a small apple if you wish. Dress with an olive oil and lemon vinaigrette or some mayonnaise and serve as a side salad.

Winter salads
Salad leaves provide a bright note and are as important for health in winter as in summer. Box schemes often contain a selection of leaves, including a wide variety of multi-coloured, slightly bitter-tasting chicories.

Source: Organic Living by Lynda Brown (Dorling Kindersley)