Boston Locavore: Roasted Winter Vegetables with Sumac

Boston's locavores get a little frustrated when we hear whinging about how much everyone is missing local food now that the summer is over. Don't get us wrong. We love tomatoes in August. We love snap peas in June. We love just about everything that has to do with a garlic plant, from May through October. But we love December too. It's not that there is nothing to eat, it's just that what there is changes and morphs into comfort food. That is New England's way of preparing us for the coming cold.

Here in the northeast, we spend the summer munching on the gorgeous, raw things that give us bright, fresh vitamins. When the temperature drops we hunker down and dig into big bowls of steaming carbs and proteins. It all makes sense, from the viewpoint of a bear, or a resident of the Northern Atlantic seaboard.

So, what do we do for fresh vegetables in the winter months?

Well, the fresh greens are still out there; they are just playing a quieter role this time of year. Here is a recipe to accompany the big, steaming bowls of carbs and protein. A bit of freshness, winter style.

Roasted Winter Vegetables With Sumac

• 2 fennel bulbs
• 2 red onions
• 1 head of garlic
• 1 white cabbage
• 1 cauliflower
• 1 pint of Brussels sprouts
• Ground sumac
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Clean the tough ends of the fennel bulbs, and cut the bulb into 1/4 inch slices. Peel the onions and cut them into 2-4 inch chunks. Try to keep them from breaking up.

Separate the garlic cloves and cut them into halves.

Core the cabbage and, again, cut into chunks, but try to keep it from falling apart.

Cut off the stem of the cauliflower and break it into florets, no larger than the chunks of cabbage.

Trim the stems from the Brussels sprouts and cut in half, so that the stem part holds both halves together.

In a bowl, toss the fennel with olive oil and lay it in a layer on the bottom of a baking sheet. You can line the sheet with parchment or a baking liner, for easier clean up. Lay the remaining vegetables out on top of the fennel, and drizzle first with olive oil, then sprinkle with sumac and salt and pepper to taste.

Do not pack them too closely. One of the best things about this recipe is that the edges of things will be crispy, and brittle when done. They won't crisp where they are packed together.

Roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Check for doneness, move things about to encourage them to crisp on the edges and continue to roast until they are just cooked, but still a bit crisp.

The fennel will wilt the most, and steam up to help cook the other veggies.

The cauliflower and Brussels sprouts will take the longest. Do not be afraid to put the harder vegetables back in for a little while if you need to, to keep the onions and cabbage from overcooking.

p.s. To the whingers: Save it for Feb, when there is really nothing out there but sticks and dirt.

Post contributed by JJ Gonson, a locavore and personal chef. Read her blog at Cuisine en Locale.

Photo of Brussels sprouts by Flickr user x-eyedblonde, used under a Creative Commons license.