While the rest of America is wrestling with snow shovels and defrosting car windows, we're here in Gilbert with our garden shovels, digging in the dirt like it's spring. Their winter gear? Parkas and ice scrapers. Our winter gear? Sun hats and garden gloves. We're not bragging, but... okay, we're totally bragging.
January is when our gardens absolutely explode with winter vegetables. Whether you're the one with dirt under your fingernails or you're hitting up our farmer's markets every weekend, this is Gilbert's moment to show off.
Here's the thing: all these winter veggies - artichokes, turnips, carrots, mushrooms, leafy greens, parsnips, radishes - are secretly doing incredible things for your body. Better heart health, lower inflammation, happier gut, more energy. No need to swear off anything or join a gym. Just eat more of what's growing right now, and let it work its magic. Speaking of which, let's get cooking.
ROASTED WINTER HARVEST BOWL
This is what you make when your garden (or farmer's market haul) is overflowing and you want everything to taste like it came from a fancy restaurant.
Ingredients:
- 3 medium carrots, chopped into chunks
- 2 parsnips, peeled and sliced
- 1 large turnip, cubed
- 8 oz mushrooms, halved
- 6 radishes, halved
- 1 artichoke, quartered
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh lemon wedges
Directions:
Crank your oven to 425°F—we're going hot and fast. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper because scrubbing pans is not the vibe.
Toss all those gorgeous winter vegetables with olive oil, garlic, rosemary, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Use your hands - it's the best way to coat everything evenly, plus it's oddly satisfying. Spread everything on your baking sheet in a single layer. Don't crowd them or they'll steam instead of getting those crispy, caramelized edges we're after.
Roast for 30-35 minutes, stirring halfway through. You'll know they're done when the edges are golden brown and your kitchen smells so good your neighbors might text you. The natural sugars in winter root vegetables intensify during roasting, creating this sweet, earthy flavor that's borderline addictive.
Squeeze fresh lemon over everything right before serving. This works as a main dish, tossed with quinoa, piled on hummus, or honestly just eaten straight from the pan while standing at the counter. We don't judge.
ARTICHOKE & WINTER GREEN PASTA
The secret to this ridiculously creamy sauce? Pasta water. That starchy magic creates silk without a single drop of heavy cream.
Ingredients:
- 12 oz pasta (whole wheat penne is perfect here)
- 2 cups artichoke hearts, quartered
- 2 cups mushrooms, sliced thick
- 3 cups winter greens (kale, chard, or spinach), chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup pasta cooking water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Get your pasta water boiling and salt it well - this becomes your sauce, so make it tasty. Cook pasta according to package directions, but before draining, scoop out at least 1 cup of that starchy water. This is liquid gold.
While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in your largest skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and resist the urge to stir for 3-4 minutes - this helps them get beautifully golden. Add garlic and artichokes, cooking another 2-3 minutes until fragrant and gorgeous.
Toss in chopped greens and that reserved pasta water. The greens will wilt down in about 3 minutes. Add drained pasta, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and nutritional yeast directly to the skillet. Toss everything together, adding more pasta water if needed to create that silky sauce.
The nutritional yeast delivers umami, almost-cheesy flavor without any dairy. Sounds weird, tastes amazing. This is the pasta that makes people forget they're eating vegetables.