Cool weather crops

There's no need to head back to the grocery store just yet. There are plenty of local farms either with harvested veggies or still producing late season crops. And many of these foods I actually prefer to those so abundant during the warmer months. Wonderful winter squash, for instance, can be prepared sweet (complemented with flavors of cinnamon, brown sugar, maple syrup, dried fruit and nuts) or savory (combined with cheese, sage, leeks, mushrooms and onions).

According to The Old Farmers Almanac - that stalwart bellwether of green thumbs everywhere - some crops thrive when left to ripen after a frost and can be harvested in the snow. These include: cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, leeks, carrots, kale, parsnips and turnips.

In fact, many vegetables taste better after a light frost. With Brussels sprouts and kale, the sugar content actually increases as the thermometer recedes, making for a sweeter, less bitter veggie. Other crops, such as parsnips and carrots, convert their starches to sugars in cold conditions and yield similarly tasty results.

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