A Holiday Meal - Fruit and Veggie Monday

Shopping

At this time of the year, the markets have lots of grapes and even more citrus varieties to offer.

To me, it is often surprising that watermelons are still for sale as well. Somehow, watermelon and summer belong together in my mind. Of course, our weather has been rather summerlike but that is not always the case. Farmers must either raise them in greenhouses or are good at gambling.
It takes a melon a certain time to get from seed to maturity. And I am pretty sure warm temperatures are required to develop the sugars in the melons.
For all we know these melons only look good. I have heard many people say that melons don't taste like they remember it from their childhood. Not being ripened in warm weather could very well be the cause.

Root vegetables are much more what I expect to see on a shopping trip in the fall. They are so delicious and full of nutrition. In many winter climates root vegetables is all that is available all winter long. Stored away - yes, you guessed it!! - in the root cellar.

In olden days and now again on many permaculture homesteads, a root cellar is dug into a hillside or even in the ground. A natural cool place to keep those veggies fresh all winter long.

You can find carrots, beets, sugarbeets, parsnip, rutabaga, celeriac, parsley root, potatoes, Jerusalem artichoke and probably many more root vegetables in such a cellar. What grows in your area we can add to this list?

Eating

Beets are among my favorite vegetables. When I was a child, I don't think I was that fond of them. We typically had them in a salad. Cooked and diced red beets, diced pickles, diced onions and here comes the problematic ingredient for me as a child: Herring. Yuck!

I was so happy when my mom started to make a portion for us without the herring. So much better!!

Now, my favorite part of the beets are the greens.

Steemed and eaten just like they are is fine by me. Or add some lemon juice. Or dress like a salad. All good.
I can't remember ever eating the greens back home and they are so very nutritious!!

Baked beets are one easy and tasty way of preparation. Actually, my ex-husband's wife made the ones in this picture and baked is the only way she will eat beets.

While the beets were baking, the oven was fully utilized by baking these parsnips on another sheet at the same time.

Cut like French Fries, we thought we could fool the kids. Didn't work. That meant more for us. And that was fine.

One of the fruits that are easier to find fresh at this time of the year are cranberries. Especially if I can find them organically grown, I buy a whole bunch.

This is an easy salad or side made from fresh cranberries and walnuts. Both are chopped, a little parsley added and some lemon juice. So good.

But this was even better.

The leftovers of the salad added to red jello. Or maybe it was the other way around. It is so nice that now organic jello with natural coloring agents is available to buy. We certainly wouldn't want to eat any of the red food colors which were used in the past and are now known to cause all kinds of health problems.
Actually, I am pretty sure that they are still used. So, when buying premixed jello, it is important to go for the a bit more expensive but much healthier organic version.

The only thing which would have made this jello mold even better is to add a segmented and skinned orange to the mix.

A little bit of everything, plus some pickled homegrown daikon radish, made a delicious meal.

This is an entry to the Fruit and Veggies Monday competition created and hosted by the beautiful Lena found at @lenasveganliving. If you like to give it a try, click here and check it out

All images are my own unless otherwise cited.

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