Some variation of this is a fall and winter staple in our house – this is the current version. It’s very adaptable – adjust to the proportions and ingredients that suit you. It's a wonderful side with roast chicken. Or, to make a meal of it, add some sausage (we like the kielbasa from Pine Woods Farm or pepperoni from VT Smoke & Cure), or sauté some onion and chickpeas and put them on top. Put it on a bed of greens (arugula or kale work well), with a mustard vinaigrette, and you've got one great dinner.

This is an easy Asian-inspired salad. You don’t need to peel the cucumbers, since they are young and tender, but it looks pretty to peel off “stripes” of skin before you slice them. Of course, you can leave out the steak and make it even simpler (or replace it with chicken, seitan, or tofu). With the steak, this should serve 4.

This is adapted from Deborah Madison's Local Flavors, which is a cookbook built around farmers’ markets – it’s a bit biased for the west coast (we don’t see many lemons at our local markets), but it’s a nice resource for inventive and interesting vegetable recipes. The zukes and onion could both be grilled in this, if you were so inclined. Good served hot or cold.

If you don’t have experience with sardines, give them a try! Pacific sardines are sustainable, pretty inexpensive, and super good for you – high in Omega-3s and calcium. They don’t really taste much fishier than tuna, but they don’t have the risk of mercury and overfishing that tuna has (Atlantic or Mediterranean sardine fisheries are poorly regulated and in decline, so we recommend sticking to the abundant Pacific variety). They are one of our favorite foods – and one of the few things Sonora is almost guaranteed to eat! If a picky toddler gives it her stamp of approval, what’s holding you back?

This is a great recipe, warm and filling. It uses dry beans, winter squash, and frozen corn, as well as onions, canned tomatoes, and garlic. All of these might be in your winter pantry if you managed to plan ahead a little - and if not, they're all available at the coop! This recipe is adapted from one in Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair.

Scapes are the flower stalk of the garlic plant. We snip them off because that helps the garlic bulb develop better - and, conveniently, they're also delicious! You can use them in just about any place you'd use garlic or onions - just chop them up, excluding the long flower bud on the end, which usually isn't very tasty. This pesto is one of the best ways to use this short-lived treat.

8-10 Ramps     Olive Oil
½ Lb Pasta    Fresh Lemon Juice

Cook the pasta according to package directions. While the pasta water is heating, prepare the ramps. Clean them if necessary, and chop into one-inch pieces. Sautee the ramps in plenty of olive oil until wilted. Drain the pasta when it’s done, then toss with the ramps. Add a dash of lemon juice to each plate and season with salt. Enjoy!