seasonal produce guide for switzerland: february
I decided to start a new series on savormania dedicated to monthly seasonal produce, which will be posted on the first Friday of each month. I got the original idea from Cookie + Kate‘s “What’s in Season” monthly guides, which are based on produce in the United States (thanks Kate!). As seasonal produce varies from country to country, I chose to stick with Switzerland — my home country and where the majority of my readers are. If you’re one of my International readers, don’t worry, I’m sure you will find lots of great recipes listed below both from my blog and from other great food bloggers out there.
With no further ado…here are February’s seasonal fruits and vegetables!
#1 APPLE
Apples are one of my favorite fruits to munch on during the day, but also to include in a variety of desserts and breakfast foods. With all the varieties that exist out there, it is easy to find sweet or sour versions according to your personal preferences. I also use apples in my favorite cinnamon roast chicken (which I will share with you one day) and sometimes in salads to give them an interesting twist.
Apple recipes found on savormania:
Apple recipes found elsewhere:
- David Lebovitz: French apple cake
- Trial and Eater: Cinnamon apple chips
- Veggies & Gin: Baked apples with apple cider and sea salt caramel
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#2 BEETS
I believe everyone has a love or hate relationship with beets. In my case, beets are really not my favorite vegetable, however Morrocans use them a lot in their cooking, and as I married a man from Morrocan descent, I’m learning to cook with them. I don’t have any beet recipes on the blog yet, but I will get to it as soon as I come up with a great recipe!
Beet recipes found elsewhere:
- How Sweet It Is: Beet, goat cheese and honey drizzled tarts
- Hummingbird High: Mini lemon sour cream pound cakes with beet glaze
- A Beautiful Mess: Beat and goat cheese hummus
#3 BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Once again, here’s a vegetable that I never cook with — although I’ve been meaning to for a very long time. Brussels sprouts tend to be at their best when roasted, but can also be included in salads and processed thinly to include in slaws. I don’t have any brussels sprout recipes on the blog yet, but with all the tasty recipes I’ve listed below I can’t wait to come up with one of my own!
Brussels sprout recipes found elsewhere:
- Cookie + Kate: Honey mustard brussels sprout slaw
- Eats Real Food: Smoked brussels sprouts with maple cashew cream
- No Spoon Necessary: Brussels sprouts and pearl onion gratin
#4 CARROTS
Ah, carrots! One of my favorite vegetables to work with. They bring sweetness, crunchiness and color to dishes, are amazing roasted, and taste just as good when eaten raw. I use them a lot in Chinese cooking, as well as in soups and in salads. I’ve cooked with carrots fairly a lot for the blog. You’ll find some of my favorite recipes below.
Carrot recipes found on savormania:
Chinese stir-fried vegetable rice
Carrot recipes found elsewhere:
- Bam’s Kitchen: Carrot hummus rolls
- Snap Crackle Cook: Garlic roasted carrots
- Sprouted Kitchen: Marrakesh carrot salad
#5 CELERY ROOT
I discovered the magic behind celery root when Jon mistakenly bought me one instead of regular celery from the supermarket. At first, I had no clue what to do with it, so as usual, I googled “celery root recipes” and came up with a bunch of ideas! Mashed potatoes with celery root, celery root soup, roasted celery root…the options were boundless. I have yet to add some of my favorite recipes to the blog, but they’re sure on my list!
Celery root recipes found elsewhere:
- A Cozy Kitchen: Celery root mash with dill oil
- A Spicy Perspective: Apple and celery root gratin
- Seitan Is My Motor: Celery root schnitzel
#6 ENDIVES
Endives completely change flavors and textures when cooked. Eaten raw, they’re bitter and crisp, however the cooking process brings out their natural sweetness and nutty flavor. I rarely use them in my kitchen because I find them a bit too bitter for my taste, however I do have them from time to time when I’m eating out. I don’t have any endive recipes on the blog yet, so please check out the amazing recipes below for some inspiration!
Endive recipes found elsewhere:
- Cookin’ Canuck: French onion and endive soup
- Kitchen Confidante: Beet & burrata endive salad
- Manger: Autumn vegetable tarte tatin
#7 GARLIC
Believe it or not, but garlic is one of the world’s healthiest foods! There are several benefits to eating garlic that outweigh the disadvantage of having bad breath! Closely related to onions, shallots and leeks, garlic has very few calories but is packed with vitamins, such as vitamin B6 and C, as well as manganese, selenium and fiber. I use garlic in a vast majority of my recipes, ranging from simple vegetable side dishes and salads to meat and poultry.
Garlic recipes found on savormania:
Meatballs with tomato sauce and peas
Roasted cauliflower with lemon, parsley and garlic
Whole fish baked in sea salt crust
Garlic recipes found elsewhere:
- Not Without Salt: Spicy garlic dip for fresh vegetables
- Pinch Of Yum: Garlic spaghetti squash with herbs
- Real Food By Dad: Easy cheese and roasted garlic pull-apart bread
#8 KALE
The kale craze has had a worldwide effect, and although I should be ashamed of saying so, I’ve never cooked with kale! Part of the cabbage family, kale owes its incredibly healthy reputation to all the vitamins it contains–ranging from A and C to B6 and K–and to its good omega-3 fatty acid. Kale comes in different colors, such as green and purple, and can be used in a variety of ways. I promise to try cooking with kale in the months to come, but meanwhile here are some other food bloggers’ great recipes.
Kale recipes found elsewhere:
- 101 Cookbooks: Kale rice bowl
- Minimalist Baker: Kale Citrus Salad
- The Fit Mrs: Green protein smoothie
#9 KIWI
Jon absolutely loves kiwi, while I absolutely hate it! Too sour and bitter for my taste, I let Jon eat all of them when I buy them at the supermarket. I never do anything special with kiwi except add it to fruit salads or slice it for Jon to have a healthy snack, which is why I don’t have any recipes with this fruit yet on the blog.
Kiwi recipes found elsewhere:
- Serious Eats: Kiwi cooler
- Love Swah: Pavlova with cream, passion fruit and kiwi
- Vegan Family Recipes: Antioxidant cherry fruit salad
#10 LEEKS
I’m developing a real love for leeks, using them a lot in my soups and in my poultry dishes instead of onion. Belonging to the same family as onions, leeks have a slightly stronger taste that becomes sweeter the longer you cook them for. Only the white part of the leek can be eaten, which means that this is a vegetable that requires quite a lot of prepping. Cleaning leeks is also of utmost importance, as dirt lodges itself in between the leaves. The best way to clean leeks, in my opinion, is to slice them in half, part the leaves and let them sit in cold water for 15 minutes. The dirt will easily drop to the bottom of the bowl.
Leek recipes found on savormania:
Leek recipes found elsewhere:
- My Cooking Spot: Chicken and leek pie
- Rafaella Sargi: Frittata with leeks, herbs and parmesan
- Steamy Kitchen: Potato and leek rösti
#11 ONIONS
Onions are in season all year round in Switzerland, which is great news given that I cook with them 90% of the time. Onion gives my dishes great flavor and can be used in a variety of cuisines. They come in red, yellow and green varieties which can all be used in different ways. I tend to cook with yellow onion the most often, reserving the red and green onions for salads. There are exceptions to this and I often experiment with cooking with red and green onions too!
Onion recipes found on savormania:
Mujaddara – lebanese lentil rice
Onion recipes found elsewhere:
- Joy The Baker: Whole roasted onions
- Just A Taste: Beer-battered onion rings
- Olive Tree Kitchen: Mediterranean tuna and red pepper fusilli
#12 PEARS
My father-in-law loves pears, so I absolutely need to start creating some recipes of my own with this fabulous fruit! Pears are in season all winter long here in Switzerland and can be used for desserts as well as salty dishes, like in a salad combined with cheese. I don’t have any pear recipes on savormania yet, but the recipes below have already inspired me to head over to the supermarket, buy a couple and get to it!
Pear recipes found elsewhere:
- Lady And Pups: Moscato and spices poached pear gelato
- Smitten Kitchen: Vanilla roasted pears
- The Thinking Kitchen: Caramelized pear, walnut and lentil salad
#13 PUMPKIN
I know the Halloween craze is well behind us, however pumpkins are in season throughout the winter here in Switzerland. It took me a while to learn to love pumpkin, but now that I do there’s no way back. Roasting them is my absolute favorite cooking method, however pumpkin can be used in desserts as well. I only have one recipe for pumpkin up on savormania, but will get cracking on many others to share with you!
Pumpkin recipes on savormania:
Pumpkin recipes found elsewhere:
- Once Upon A Chef: Pumpkin cornbread muffins
- The Happier Homemaker: Pumpkin apple butter
- The Year In Food: Spiced pumpkin coconut milk ice cream
#14 SPINACH
Spinach’s vibrant green color and herby taste make it a great addition to salads, quiches and stir-fries. I make a great spinach and feta quiche — which still hasn’t found its way to the blog — and love to sauté it with garlic. I don’t have any spinach recipes on the blog yet, but here are some great ones I found on other food blogs.
Spinach recipes found elsewhere:
- Show Me The Yummy: Cheesy spinach stuffed shells
- The Merchant Baker: Spinach feta egg white cups
- Tasty Ever After: Spinach artichoke dip
Are you looking for recipes with another ingredient that may not be seasonal? Check out my Recipe Index for inspiration.