And since no one agrees on ANYTHING these days, here’s another list with some overlap, but other vegetables added for various reasons:
https://draxe.com/nutrition/winter-vegetables/
Jerusalem Artichokes (these can be invasive!)
Broccoli
Kale
Brussels Sprouts
Cauliflower
Escarole
Cabbage
Beets
Carrots
Fennel
Winter Squash
Chicory
IMO, the old “Victory Garden” concept needs to be resurrected big time. While just about everyone on this thread ‘gardens’ in one way or another, I think we should also encourage family/friends who do not garden to start something, even if it is a container garden on a patio, porch, etc. Empty shelves are going to be a reality ... if not already, then shortly. Between empty shelves and inflation (not going to be temporary), food supply is going to become critical.
A side note - we got a letter recently from someone (don’t know her) wanting to rent a patch of ground/my garden & they would do the work, share the produce ... quite the surprise. Evidently, she was driving by & saw my garden, which is sort of visible from the road. I said ‘no’ - I’m not giving up my garden & we do not want strangers on the place.
What Is A Victory Garden – Vintage Advice for a Modern Time
https://hillsborough-homesteading.com/victory-garden-free-pdf/
Excerpt from link:
Using Victory Gardens in Modern Times
The National Gardening Association reports that nearly 20 million Americans grow their own produce today, with many starting new Victory Garden projects in response to growing concerns about our nation’s food supply and the high cost of groceries.
While we’re not in a war anymore that threatens to empty our grocery store produce shelves, I think the message is still important:
Grow and preserve your own food, so that others who cannot can rely on the store.
We’ve seen in recent times the effect of the pandemic, food supply shortages, people hoarding and making runs on grocery stores.
Even global warming has begun effecting food supplies.
Where we are, it’s not uncommon to be snowed in for days or weeks at a time.
What if you lose your job or a source of income and suddenly don’t have the money for groceries?
Even something as simple as your car being in the shop, or you hurting yourself and not being able to drive.
Self-sufficiency is my safety blanket and makes it so that I never have to worry about whether I can make it to the store or if I have the money for food.
So while we’re not in a war (at the moment), I consider my own family’s well-being and security Victory enough.
We grow our own vegetables and fresh fruits and can, freeze, dehydrate and pickle for our food security.
So consider making your own victory garden and harvesting fresh produce from just a few seed packets.
Here’s my complete guide on how to start a garden from scratch if this is your first time with home gardens.
Even if you only have a small front yard, window boxes or tiny garden plots, you can grow a surprising amount of leafy greens and fresh vegetables.
Awhile ago I found several adorable pamphlets from, I believe, the USDA.
Note: links mentioned in the article are “live” at the source.
Diana’s Roasted Winter Vegetables
5 carrots, peeled
1 red onion, peeled
3 stalks celery
6 New Potatoes (or 3 medium) peel if desired or just scrub
Winter Squash peeled and chunked (about 2 cups)
Fresh Rosemary, or Thyme if on hand, but any dried spice blend that you like will do.
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut up your veggies so they’re all in about the same size pieces for even roasting.
Put them in a large bowl, drizzle with EVOO, salt & pepper, and sprinkle with herbs, as desired. Toss to combine, well.
Transfer to a rimmed sheet pan lined with parchment paper or foil (makes clean-up easier), add a few fresh sprigs of herbs if you have them and roast for 45 minutes or so until veggies are browned, but still a bit firm.
Let cool for 10 minutes or so, but serve warm. This is really good with a sprinkle of Balsamic Vinegar at the table, too.
Other veggies I have addeed to this: Brussels Sprouts (halved), Cauliflower & Broccoli florets and canned beets (drained, rinsed, not pickled!) depending upon what was in the cupboard or on hand at the time.
Some of those gardens are better suited for northern climates, like this one with the cruciferous veggies.
A cold weather veggie grown in early spring or late fall is better than none when the frosts have killed off the cold tender ones like tomatoes and peppers.
There is also the storage issue. You can store veggies long term by selecting the right ones and varieties.
I am still using potatoes and onions from this summer and am amazed at how juicy and crispy they still are, just sitting in my garage. It’s not ideal storage conditions but it does give you an idea of how old some of the food in the supply chain is when the produce is soft and spongy and the potatoes start sprouting a couple days after you get them home.
Another thing to consider is garden space, cost effectiveness, and local agriculture. In CNY, there were tons of farms that grew onions and potatoes. You could get farm fresh ones at the farmers market or veggie stands cheap enough that if you had limited garden space, like I did, it was more worth it to buy those items than use the garden space to grow them.
From the U.S. Department of Agriculture
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/
“Foundation Foods”
“Data for food components including nutrients derived from analyses, and metadata for a range of single foods and ingredients providing insights into variability. Foundation Foods highlight information on samples and acquisition details.
Documentation and further details about Foundation Foods https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/docs/Foundation_Foods_Documentation_Apr2021.pdf“
Jerusalem artichokes can be invasive. So I grew them in a large plastic trash barrel. It was easy to harvest the artichokes, which I had plenty of. The supply lasted several months and they were very tasty as I grew them organically. I don’t have the space for such a set up here; the artichokes were used mainly as part of my salads and used for diabetic control.