The Off Topic Topic

[The Larch]

But winter is very long and really very, very samey. Not sure how much longer I can go cycling through potatoes, carrots, onions with parsnips/celeriac/cauliflower

Struggling with the lack of tomatoes? 

Potato is life.

I thought it was Sheilbh the one with Irish heritage.

[Grey Fox]

Potato is life*

*From someone who actually lives in the new world

Yes, Sheilbh, seasonal in the winter means few vegetables and mostly all roots. That's kind of why you need... meat for it to work.

[Admiral Yi]

You could jazz things up with some turnips Squeeze!

Woops, Shelf.  Odd error.

[Sheilbh]

I now know turnips are actually summer veg - they just feel like they should be winter

[Admiral Yi]

I'm blown away.

I could have sworn Holland had a turnip winter during WWII.

[The Larch]

Turnips are winter vegs.

[The Larch]

Do you get collards in your veggie package? You can make some delicious Portuguese caldo verde with them and some potatoes. 



You might want to cheat on your lent promise and add some chorizo anyway, I don't think a vegan alternative works for this.

[Sheilbh]

We're all right! Same plant - small/baby turnip season = summer; mature turnip = winter. Though I've not received any

I'm not sure we get collard greens in the UK - I've never seen them and only really know about them from the US. I don't know if they maybe have a different name here?

But yes in fairness the weeks when I got kale were very exciting and we're starting to get spring greens now - and can definitely do a vegan caldo verde in the future. Used this week's spring greens in a greens and chickpea curry

[HVC]

I *think* kale is basically the same thing.

It appears I'm wrong, but can aparently still be substituted

And caldo verde is made with portuguese kale, which is different from both normal kale and collard greens. So there you go lol

[The Larch]

I *think* kale is basically the same thing.

It appears I'm wrong, but can aparently still be substituted

It's all the same species (Brassica oleracea), which has tons of varieties depending on the part of the plant you want to eat.

Brassica oleracea is a plant species from family Brassicaceae that includes many common cultivars used as vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, Savoy cabbage, kohlrabi, and gai lan.

[HVC]

It's the magic plant with the weird triploid genome. Our diet would be a lot less varied without it

Also, now I want some caldo verde. My family cuts the kale much thinner then your picture though.

[The Larch]

It's the magic plant with the weird triploid genome. Our diet would be a lot less varied without it

Also, now I want some caldo verde. My family cuts the kale much thinner then your picture though.

I want caldo verde too. I love it in winter, and today temperatures have dropped.

I'm also used to having the greens much more shredded than in the picture.

[Sheilbh]

Incidentlly at the risk of triggering our Iberian contingent - I actually already have some vegan chorizo

[The Larch]

Incidentlly at the risk of triggering our Iberian contingent - I actually already have some vegan chorizo

[Barrister]

Relatedly I wanted to eat more seasonally so signed up for a veg box - and I went for the organic, UK produce box thinking that would definitely be very seasonal. As a city person I have literally no idea what's seasonal so need help.

And in general it has been really good. It's got me cooking new dishes etc which is what I wanted.

But winter is very long and really very, very samey. Not sure how much longer I can go cycling through potatoes, carrots, onions with parsnips/celeriac/cauliflower

What?  No beets?