SEASONAL WINTER VEGETABLES in Melbourne, Australia

I really like seasonal produce and winter vegetables are outstanding. The variety is immense, the quality eminent.

Winter vegetables include: artichokes, Asian greens, avocado, beans, beetroot, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cardoons, carrot, catalogna, cauliflower, cavolo nero, celeriac, celery, chicory, cime di rapa, cucumber, daikon, endive, fennel, kale, Kohlrabi, lamb’s lettuce, leek, lettuces, mushrooms, okra, onion, parsnip, potato, pumpkin, radicchio, radish, rocket, shallots, silverbeet, spinach, spring onions, swede, sweet potato, turnip, watercress and witlof.

Winter vegetables are truly a gift of the season. With their rich variety and exceptional quality, they bring such vibrant flavors to the table. From earthy root vegetables to crisp, leafy greens, there’s so much to celebrate.

The bounty of winter vegetables includes everything from artichokes and Asian greens to beetroot, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and celeriac. There’s also a lovely mix of leafy greens like kale, cavolo nero, and chicory, alongside hearty roots like carrots, parsnips, and swede. And of course, we can’t forget the starchy vegetables like sweet potato, pumpkin, and potato, or the peppery hit from radicchio, rocket, and radish. The list goes on, from daikon and fennel to mushrooms and shallots—each one offering a unique flavor and texture to work with in the kitchen.

As I look at this  list, I realize there are still some vegetables I haven’t shared many recipes for on my blog, All Things Sicilian and More, specifically, daikon, okra, parsnip, shallots, swede, and possibly turnip. It’s not that I don’t use these ingredients—I do! I just tend to focus more on Mediterranean vegetables in my posts, reflecting the influence of my Italian background, both from Trieste and Sicilian, my childhood, and the foundation of my cooking. While the “More” in my blog’s title hints at a broader culinary horizon, Italian cooking remains the focus of my recipes.

That said, I’m always experimenting, and winter offers the perfect opportunity to revisit and reimagine old favorites. For example, I love cooking Asian greens, particularly mustard greens, and preparing them in the same way I cook cime di rapa (a type of Italian turnip green) with pasta. I also enjoy stir-frying Chinese leafy greens in olive oil and garlic, with a few anchovies or a sprinkle of chili flakes for a little extra punch. The marriage of Italian and Asian flavors is something I truly enjoy.

This winter, I’m diving back into some of my favorite winter vegetable recipes, and I’m starting with two of my go-to chicories: Cicoria and Catalogna. These hearty greens are perfect for the season, offering both depth of flavour and versatility.

Cicoria – Chicory

Catalogna is a variant of cicoria. In Italy is also called Puntarelle or cicoria di catalogna or cicoria asparago: asparago means asparagus and this name is very appropriate as the plant looks like a head of shoots.

Catalogna (Puntarelle) has leaves that look like large leaves of chicory and dandelions, but more pointy and narrower; its leaves and shoots have the same bitter taste. And I love bitter greens.

Like chicory, the young and tender shoots of Catalogna can be eaten raw in salads. It is common to soak the puntarelle shoots in ice water for a while so that they curl. and then to dress them with a vinaigrette with anchovies and garlic. They are delicious.

Dressing with anchovies: 500g- 1 kilo puntarelle, 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil, 1tbs of vinegar, 3-4 anchovies, 1 clove of garlic. Pound the anchovies and garlic, add the oil and vinegar.

I have been writing about cicoria and puntarelle for a very long time.

This post was published on Nov 9, 2009 and it is worth looking at:

CICORIA and Puntarelle (Chicory)

There are other posts with recipes and information about chicory:

CICORETTA CON SALSICCIA (Chicory with fresh pork sausage)

WANT NOT WASTE NOT- Chicken livers and chicory, twice

 BITTER GREENS and AMARI (Aperitivi and Digestivi)

 

 

 

INSALATA DI FRISÉE (Composite Salad made with frisée)

It is so easy to make a good insalata, called a salad in English. I made an insalata with a frisée to accompany some snapper that was grilled on the BBQ. Dressed with a simple dressing, but you can see how the combination below could be accompanied with some good bread and be a quick easy lunch.

saladbowl

Chicory, endives and of course puntarelle are also very suitable ingredients for this salad; like frisée they have sturdy textured leaves and slightly bitter taste.

Mint is very much a Sicilian ingredient and contributes significantly to the taste and fragrance of this salad.

INGREDIENTS
1 frisée (French curly endive)
4 large eggs, hard boiled or boiled to taste
5-6 anchovies in oil, or more (to taste)
½ cup of chopped parsley
2 spring onions, sliced finely
20-25 mint leaves  (to taste)
3-4 tomatoes (to taste) cut into halves or quarters
½ cup breadcrumbs made of fresh bread and lightly fried/ toasted in a little extra virgin olive oil

Dressing: juice of 1-2 lemons, 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

PREPARATION
Wash, clean and separate the frisée into bite-size pieces and put in a large bowl. Add chopped parsley, spring onions, tomatoes and mint.
Make the dressing (stir it with a small whisk or a fork).
Dress the salad.
Add the anchovies and place them throughout the salad – in other words, lift some of the ingredients and try to distribute the anchovies evenly.
Peel and cut the eggs in halves and place them on top.
Sprinkle breadcrumbs over everything and there it is.

Green Seasonal Vegetables
Cicoria and Puntarelle
Composite Salad

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