Break out the slow cooker! This sweet-and-sour braise is a great meal on a very cold night. Make sure you crumble the dried porcini so they contribute the most flavor to the stew, providing an earthy contrast to the vinegary orange sauce.
winter
Delicata Squash Fries with Awesome Sauce
Delicata squash skin is edible and it roasts fairly quickly. The squash is simple to prepare—and the taste is sweet and tender. Our best-loved way to eat delicata squash is as fries: roasted half-moon slices that both the kids and adults in our lives rave over.
Grilled Vegetable Salad with Brown Butter Vinaigrette
Grilling vegetables and dressing them with a rich dressing is a revelation. Use as many colors and varieties of vegetables as possible.
Bratwurst with Sauerkraut and Smashed Potatoes
Serve the bratwurst with high-quality mustard, and substitute parsnips for the potatoes if your family prefers something sweeter. When preparing the potatoes, don’t use a potato masher or the results will be too smooth. (We just love potatoes that are smashed!)
Fennel Salad with Blue Cheese and Walnuts
This is the perfect salad for a casual lunch with friends because it comes together in a few minutes and most of the elements can be prepared up to a day before. It’s also ideal for winter since all of the ingredients are available year-round.
Braised Short Ribs with Moxie Beans
Long, cold New England winters would be unbearable if it weren’t for braises. There’s a solid six months between picking the last of the summer’s tomatoes and trimming the first spear of asparagus, and during that time I turn to sturdy long-cooked recipes like these short ribs, which have the added benefit of warming your kitchen as they cook. This is a recipe intended for a cold day, when the wind is blowing sideways and the snow shoveling feels never-ending.
