Healthy Living: Cooking with winter veggies doesn't have to be intimidating!

SEATTLE, Wash., -- Cooking fresh for our families in the winter months can be intimidating. There aren't a lot of fresh, affordable options and some of the fruits and vegetables available are unfamiliar to a lot of people.
In this week's Healthy Living, we are taking the guesswork out of seasonal vegetables and helping you navigate the otherwise unfamiliar territory.
I mean, have you heard of celeriac?! It is a great potato substitute for a low carb diet!
Chef Jamie Casaday is the owner and chef at DERU Market in Kirkland. She gives us some amazing tips on how to cook this time of year, while keeping our health in mind!

From Chef Jamie Casaday:
"I am focusing on 3 seasonal vegetables that I have prepared different ways; carrots, beets and celery root (aka celeriac). Most people have had really bad experiences with beets (from their childhood being over cooked) so I like to demystify them, they are delicious and packed full of nutrients! Carrots are awesome, everyone loves them and there is literally an endless amount of exciting things you can do with them! Celery root, most people have never heard of it and it is an incredibly versatile vegetable, packed full of flavor and easy to cook!

- The vegetables that are in season are always the cheapest. They are at the highest point of production and that drives the cost down. It’s always great for your budget to stick to what is in season

- Feeling comfortable cooking one vegetable in multiple different ways can not only energize your weekly dinners but help you save because you can ultimately have less in your fridge and maximize the use of a few great staples. No waste!

- In the winter our local farmers aren’t growing a lot. We are featuring items that fall into the storage crop category, those are products that are held post harvest in a cool environment for use over the winter months. The quality is often enhanced during this process. This is great for our farmers and great for us!

MENU

CARROTS
- Carrot Spread ( Vegan / Gluten Free: can be used like hummus / dip / sandwich spread)
- Roasted Carrots with Maple-Dijon Herb Vinaigrette (chimichurri as an optional topping)
- Raw Carrot + Beet Slaw (used as a topping to fish / pork / on turkey sandwich or as a side)

BEETS
- Beet Hummus (Vegan / Gluten Free: used like hummus / sandwich spread)
- Root Chips (can be made without special cooking equipment - amazing with carrots spread and beet hummus)
- Roasted Beets (Can be used many different ways, hold really well once cooked great to make ahead and have in the fridge to add to different menu items)

CELERY ROOT (AKA CELERIAC) *low starch, great potato substitute for a low carb diet
- Celery Root, Apple + Citrus Slaw (can be used with fish - Sturgeon / Steelhead are in season , add to marinated beans for vegetarian dish, serve with pork, use on sandwich)
- Celery Root + Leek Soup
- Roasted Celery Root (can be used multiple different ways - snack with hummus, in salad, as a side dish)

For more information, head to DERUMarket where you can also sign up for their newsletter! #AllLocal