Ode to Winter Vegetables

Winter VEGETABLES!

How you have provided us with such STRENGTH this season.  How your roots have rooted our immunity.  How your CARROTS have grown richer - your PARSNIPS!  TURNIPS!

I rejoice in being able to tell the difference between all of you.

And SQUASH!  How many of you there were.  How we had to look you up to know what to do with you!  From PIE SQUASH (what??) to BUTTERNUT to WHO-KNOWS-WHAT.  You were all there!

And ARUGULA.  Oh, it's been nice to see you come about.  So STRONG you are and so BITTER when I shove so much of you in my mouth at one time.  It BURNS!

And the WATERMELON radish!  What a delight it was to cut you to pieces - to find that you resemble a WATERMELON inside!

And the CABBAGE!  The purple cabbage; you were a tough one.  I didn't know what to do with you, so I didn't do much.  For this, I apologize.

And CELERIAC!  Same thing as the cabbage; see above.

And the RHUBARB... same thing as the cabbage and celeriac.

LEEKS!  I think you may have dried up in our fridge as well...

POTATOES!  How could we forget?  You came in all different colors: purple, yellow, and lighter yellow!  We roasted you time and time again.

APPLES!  I didn't know you could grow for so many months.  So frigid, so cold.

KALE.  Where have you been?  I haven't seen you in weeks.  I feel that you abandoned us.  For that, I am... sad.  I hope we see you again soon.

OH and the BRUSSEL SPROUTS!  I nearly forgot; you've disappeared as well.

That reminds me: CAULIFLOWER and ITALIAN CAULIFLOWER!  I love you guys.  Miss you.

GENERAL GREENS!  You tasted like grass sometimes.  I couldn't quite get excited about you.  But SPINACH I feel I failed you.  I know you went bad in our fridge.  I'm sorry.

What ELSE?!

FROZEN STRAWBERRIES!

TOMATO SAUCE!

ONIONS!

THANK YOU EVERYONE for joining us throughout these FIVE MONTHS.  You have all been so wonderful to have around.  I hope to see you again next year.

<3