As you’re planning your meals this season, our cool-weather veggies can help you add color and diversity to your plate and keep your body happy and healthy. According to the American Heart Association, eating fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors is the best way to get all of the vitamins and minerals you need. Here’s what to know about some possibly unfamiliar–but colorful–vegetables that you’ll see in the last few weeks of the season.
Radicchio and Escarole
These greens in the chicory family (above) are high in vitamins A and C, and good sources of fiber, potassium, and magnesium They are often referred to as “bitter greens” due to their bitter flavor when eaten raw (extremely delicious when dressed up with a tangy dressing). Use escarole cooked in escarole and white bean soup, or try either escarole or radicchio my favorite way: cut the heads into wedges, grill them, and add homemade Caesar dressing and parmesan to make grilled Caesar salad. Yum!
Watermelon Radish and Daikon Radish
These radishes (right) are high in potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, and antioxidants. Both are milder than the summer radishes you received earlier in the season. They are crunchy and a little sweet as well, making them delicious to eat raw. They add beautiful color to a salad or cut into sticks to eat with dip. You can also pickle them and use them as a condiment for sandwiches, or cook them. Spiralize, roast, stir-fry, or make radish chips!
Kabocha Squash and Delicata Squash 
Kabocha and Delicata squashes (left) are good sources of fiber and vitamin C. Both can last for a couple of months on your counter in a cool, dry place. They have a sweet and nutty flavor: I typically don’t add more than oil, salt and pepper when roasting (though sometimes I add maple syrup because why not?). And the best part? You can eat the skin! Unlike butternut, the skin is edible and not as thick and tough after roasting.
Until next time,
Ember
