"We're ready for the crock-pot!" (HerrHartmann/Creative Commons)

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Cooking with Winter Vegetables

• Simple Baked Sweet Potatoes

• Curried Butternut Squash

• Acorn Squash 8 Ways
  

• Portobello Mushroom Soup
  

If you bought enough potatoes and carrots to feed an army at Thanksgiving, then only needed enough for half an army, don't despair. Root vegetables have a long shelf life, making them a blessing to have around in the colder months when lively produce can be harder to find.

Rosemary is also a plucky, winter-friendly herb. You may even have some in your garden, busily growing next to that vacant spot where your basil gave up the ghost after the first cold snap. If you don't, purchase some rosemary at the grocery, and dry what you don't use (tie it with string in a sunny window) to save for later.

If you have some stray root veggies in the pantry, why not cook them in the slow cooker with that rosemary sprig while you do your holiday shopping? This simple side dish is ultra-basic, using only a handful of ingredients, and goes with anything, so you can pop it in the crock-pot early in the day before you even decide what's for dinner.

On your way home from Christmas shopping, pick up an already-cooked rotisserie chicken or a piece of fresh fish to broil in a flash. With the side dish already cooked and piping hot, dinner is good to go.

Slow Cooker Potatoes and Carrots with Rosemary Recipe

Ingredients:

2 carrots, sliced
2 large potatoes, cut into 1/2 " cubes
1 small onion, cut into thin wedges
1/4 cup vegetable stock
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary (1 tsp dried)
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions: Place carrots, potatoes and onions in the crock of your slow cooker. Cover with broth and sprinkle in rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on high 4-6 hours, until vegetables are nice and tender. Serves 2-4.

Note: Cutting your vegetables into smaller pieces will ensure that they cook through. Large pieces will take longer in a slow cooker, so keep this in mind when preparing root vegetables for crock-pot cooking.

Variations: If you have other vegetables around, by all means, toss them in. A cup of fresh green beans adds color, and other root vegetables mingle nicely with the potatoes and carrots (turnips or parsnips, for example.) If you add more than a cup or so of additional veggies, be sure and add a bit more broth and adjust the seasonings accordingly.

You can also switch out the rosemary for fresh herbs you have on hand. Thyme, sage or dill are all savory choices that blend well with root vegetables.

Love that slow cooker? So do I. Be sure to click "Subscribe" above to get new slow cooker recipes in your email box.

ekellywrites@gmail.com