What’s in Season in February?
Blood oranges and lemons
Blood oranges are peaking now, these juicy ruby wonders timed perfectly for Valentines Day. Most citrus are happiest during the dreary winter months. Now is the time to make marmalade, and anything lemony.
Swiss chard, kale, and collards
It’s still the season for sturdy winter greens. Look for rainbow chard with colorful stems.
Fennel
Looks like celery, tastes like licorice, this relative of carrots and parsley is terrific shaved raw into salads, added into stews, or baked or braised.
Leeks
The white and light green parts of leeks grow under a mound of mulch, with just the dark green leaves exposed to light. All that mulch can get in the crevices of the leeks, so make sure to slice them open and rinse thoroughly before cooking. Leeks share the allium family with onions, garlic, shallots, and chives. Think of them as giant green onions that you cook. They’re great in soups, or braised.
Cabbage
Purple and green cabbages are winter work horses. They’ll last weeks in your fridge without going bad. Use cabbage for slaws, or for stuffing or adding to soups.
Radicchio
Radicchio looks a little like purple cabbage, but it’s an entirely different vegetable. It’s a chicory like endive or frisée, and can be a little bitter. Shred a few leaves to add to salads. It’s delicious roasted or grilled.
Arugula
Baby arugula is available all year long because most of what we see packaged in the market is grown indoors. But garden arugula starts making an appearance in early spring. If you garden, pick the leaves young while they are lightly peppery, but not overwhelmingly so.
Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes are grown and harvested all year. There’s no particular season for them, but they are so sweet and colorful, they can brighten any winter meal! Scroll down for recipes using the best of February produce!
