tis the season for december produce

It's the first of December - though the Christmas season began a few months ago, it feels official now. Lights go up on the streets, red and green decorations are found at each turn, and wonderful winter warming foods are on the menu. This morning on Saturday Kitchen, as two-star Michelin chef Michael Caine (recently voted Chefs' Chef of the Year) said, "There should be no red peppers or asparagus on a menu now. There's just no need."

He's right - with such fantastically fragrant and vividly-coloured root vegetables, the menu possibilities are endless. Read on for how to make the best of December's gifts:

celery
I know a lot of people who dislike celery, but I love it. It's fresh, crunchy and palate-cleansing. As I explained to a friend once, celery works on its own but also as a medium for other foods, like cheese, in place of other, more fattening snacks like crisps. There are plenty of ways to get the best of celery's pungent aroma and fun crunch.

-On a cheeseboard with blue cheese and apples

-Celery risotto (which I'm making this Friday)

-Chop it and serve it in a cold salad with tuna and white beans

-Served with peanut butter, smeared down the middle (great for kids).

red cabbage
This vegetable practically screams winter to me. It must be the vivid royal red of the leaves. An amazing vegetable cooked for three hours or served raw in a salad.

-Braised it, sliced, for an hour with chopped apples, red wine vinegar, cloves, bay leaves and a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg. Gorgeous served with duck and turnips (which, incidentally, I plan on cooking for Sunday lunch tomorrow)

-Served in a salad with raw root veggies (use a mandolin or the side of a grater).

-Pickled cabbage (it takes awhile if you make it from scratch), in a chicken salad or sandwich

turkey, duck and goose
There's a reason poultry is on the holiday table. While turkey is the leanest and most common of these three, duck and goose have an intense richness to them.

-Roasted turkey is a beautiful thing to behold. But after Christmas, turkey sandwiches are the order of the day, with avocado and spinach leaves.

-I love pan-fried turkey steaks in any season with the best vegetables of the month.

-Duck is a stronger meat which needs rich flavours like wild mushrooms or citrus sauces to slice through the taste. Try pan-fried duck breast (though I would remove the fat before serving) with sauteed wild mushrooms and plum sauce.

-I have to admit, I've never cooked goose. This recipe for roast goose with apple and prune stuffing sounds really interesting.

-Many chefs hail using goose fat for perfect crispy roast potatoes. It doesn't strike my fancy, though perhaps for a Christmas treat, it's not a bad option.

sea bass
I'll always choose fish, on any menu. Although sea bass isn't cheap, the creamy flesh makes it worth it.

-This fish works well with eastern flavour combinations like ginger, citrus and spring onions. Marinate and roast it for 30 minutes and serve with seasonal vegetables.

-Fennel, for some reason, is one of the best accompiaments to sea bass. There are two options that immediately come to mind. Either bake in a foil packet with sliced fennel, or grill a whole sea bass and serve with a fennel, parmesan and lemon salad.

swede, celeriac, turnips, parsnips
Root vegetables are the quiet stars of the season. I must admit, I haven't used potatoes in ages - who needs them when you've got such a selection?

-I love the mix-and-match approach to these roots. Parsnip and celeriac soup has a flavour that can't be replicated anywhere else - this sum is so much more than the addition of its parts.

-Whip up a soup with a mixture of roots, including squash. Then add fennel and radishes. Here's where I admit it is a Gillian McKeith recipe - but erase her image from your mind and focus on the fact that it's a very tasty soup indeed.

-Use the roots anywhere you might use potatoes. Purees and mashes really carry us through those winter months - I have to admit, I don't get bored with them at all. Experiment with different earthy spices in the cupboard and winter herbs like rosemary and sage. (One warning: should you want to roast swede, prepare to wait awhile - I recommend at least 75 minutes.)

-Swede and carrot, finely diced and steamed, is such a fun, colourful side dish. Or, mash them together and use as a topping on shepherds pie.

-I ate braised turnips as a side dish to venison recently and loved it. Braise in a stock for added flavour.

-Grated celeriac works beautifully in salads. Yesterday, I ate a salad with grated carrot, celeriac and beetroot mixed with sliced mushrooms, chopped parsley, lime juice and seasoning.


beetroot
I have been converted to this strangely sweet vegetable. I believe it works best in simple applications.

-Beetroot and goats cheese is a tried-and-true combination. Serve with walnuts and green salad leaves and dash of lemon juice and pepper.

-You've heard my beetroot soup stories before. Here's one.

-Beetroot is a great way to bulk up a salad in place of heavier carbohydrates. I like to make sardine, feta and beetroot salad in a soup-and-salad combination. Use a root vegetable for a soup - spicy pumpkin is a great option.

chestnuts
You can buy this holiday nut in the shells, or in tins or vacuum packs. Determine which one you need based on the recipe.

-Roasted chestnuts have an amazing aroma and are an ultimate holiday treat.

-Chestnut stuffing is a divine option on the Christmas table. I made this one last year and loved it.

-Chestnut soup is still on my to-try list. I can't wait to cook this one.

pears
I went on and on about pears last month, so I won't subject you to it again. But, it's now Pear Month in the States, and as the pears are starting to soften quickly in the fruit bowl, it's time to use them in purees, juices and desserts.

That should be enough to keep us busy for a month, eh?