Valley Bounty: Radishes

A radish is not just a radish - they come in varieties that can be quite different in flavor and appearance. And that's a good reason to try them all. Black Spanish radishes, for example, have a dark skin and a spicy white flesh. The sweeter Watermelon radishes are gem-like with a surprising and beautiful fuscia interior hidden underneath their white skin. Both are a crunchy, flavor-packed addition to a salad or an antipasto platter of pickles, cheeses or cured meats.

Valley Bounty: Sweet Potatoes

SWEET POTATOES

A couple little known facts about sweet potatoes: They grow in our climate. They can be stored and eaten all winter long.

And they are better without marshmallows.

Valley Bounty: Celeriac

Lumpy, root-like and unfamiliar to most of us, celeriac is a winter vegetable that's worth getting to know.

Fresh in the Valley: Winter greens

Not long ago, fresh local greens were hard to come by in the middle of winter. But that's no longer the case. Winter salad mixes, grown in unheated or low-heat greenhouses, are a staple of winter farmers markets - crisp and flavorful no matter what the weather brings. Try in-season greens with apples, pears, goat cheese or crumbled bacon.

Valley Bounty: Winter squash

Winter squash is a great vegetable for cold-weather meals. Fresh and local, winter squash is readily available at farmers markets and in shares and stores. Squash mingles beautifully with many flavor combinations. Try garlic and sage or cumin and coriander. Add maple syrup, cinnamon and vanilla for a sweet side dish. But you don't have to limit winter squash to a corner of your plate; it can be made into a soup, a main course or a dessert.

Valley Bounty

CHEERS

Now is the season for celebratory toasting and good cheer. Choose locally produced libations or mix locally produced ingredients with your old favorites. Add cider or sparkling water to fruit cordials or use them to dress up a martini or a cosmopolitan. Mead, hard cider, wine, eggnog and beer made from locally grown and malted barley can also be found in the Valley. Wassail!

Valley Bounty: Pie

PIE