Basil: When you get to taste the first of the year, no matter whether it is a tomato, a melon, or a bunch of basil, you may want to savor the moment — having waited patiently and eaten no out-of-season substitutes! Here’s your first-of-year fresh green basil, ready to season a sauce or add to a stir-fry.
Beets: Look for recipes on our web site. We love this observation from Deborah Madison’s beautiful cookbook, Vegetable Literacy (Ten Speed Press, 2013): “Beets are also full of sugars — think of sugar beets, from which sugar is made — and these two qualities, the earthy and the sweet, oppose one another and confuse the mouth. At least I’m convinced this is so. I’ve long believed that acid in the form of citrus juices or good vinegars make a bridge between these elements and unites them in a way that makes beets much more likable.”
Cabbage: Use it to roll up some vegetables and rice, or make a wilted cabbage salad by slicing it up, salting it, massaging in the salt, squeezing out the water, and dressing it up with some lemon and parmesan cheese.
Potatoes: These are new potatoes which means that the skin is thin and doesn’t need to be peeled, plus you should refrigerate them to preserve their creamy texture. These potatoes are great roasted, made into fries or potato salad or boiled. For healthy comfort food, try Potatoes au Gratin.
