We all know how easy it is to eat great during the summer and fall. Plenty of freshly harvested vegetables abound. It's no trouble to stop and pick up a dozen ears of corn on the side of the road, or get a grocery sack filled with tomatoes and arugula from a neighbour. Slowly winter makes its way on over and you're stuck looking at a cupboard filled with canned food and a refrigerator that seems a bit boring. Fortunately, it doesn't have to be that way. Winter eating can be fun and nutritious.

Scope out the market

Believe it or not, a lot of farmer's markets still operate during the winter. Do a search for your area or ask around. Sometimes you can find unusual foods, such as rutabaga (which are mandatory for a great pasty, essential winter fare). Check in with your local farmers as well since many are starting up winter CSA programs.

Potlucks

A great way to make sure you eat an amazing dinner is to host or attend a potluck. Depending on the gastronomical proficiency of your group of friends, you could end up eating some very tasty foods and even getting/sharing a few recipes. And what better time than winter to get together in a warm place and share food & wine with your closest friends?

Make Do

Even after you search for fresh veggies, during the winter you will inevitably come up short and have to make do with less. That's OK! Frozen or canned veggies, root vegetables, nuts, and proteins are all great. I recently made a wonderful soup that I feel embodies winter and all of its delicious offerings. It's also vegan so that the added inactivity of winter is less likely to materialize as health problems and added weight.

Vegan Clam-Free Cashew Chowder

Recipe courtesy of http://www.recipezaar.com.

• 1 big onion
• 1 medium cauliflower
• lots of garlic
• 1/2 c. of cashews
• handful of oyster mushrooms
• a few potatoes
• 1-2 cubes of vegetable bouillon (rapunzel brand is my favourite)
• salt, pepper, parsley, thyme, bay leaves

Sauté those things that need to be sautéed while bringing a fair amount of water up to heat. Blend the cashews in a blender to make a powder, maybe saving a few chunky ones for texture.

Throw everything into the pot eventually and let it cook for a while, 30-90 minutes. When you're ready, run an immersion blender in your soup until it attains the desired consistency, chunky but mostly blended.

Enjoy!