January Veggies 2026
Continuing with produce to keep you on track with better intake of produce, Winter is the time for comfort dishes of soups, stews, braises, and roasting. All cooking methods are used to bring out the flavor of ingredients, and many dishes benefit from longer cooking at a lower heat, leaving more time for you to address other tasks or spend more time with family and friends.
TOMATILLOS and MILPEROS
Members of the nightshade family, tomatillos are light to medium green in color, fruits that resemble tomatoes in appearance but are high in pectin (soluble dietary fiber) and have a sticky skin and slight tart-yet-sweet profile like goldenberries (chokeberries). Milpero look like tomatillos but are about the size of a small gumball and are sweeter than tart. Considered an essential vegetable ingredient (by use but botanically a fruit with seeds) for many Latin dishes, tomatillos or milperos are a main ingredient in chile verde, posole (hominy soup), salsas as a thickening agent and for color, as well as in Indian dishes for chutney and curries.
Tomatillos may be found in the Latin ingredient area of the fresh produce section. Often sold with their papery husks or capes, Melissa's offers them with or without. Select tomatillos that have firm, glossy, sticky skin with no punctures, mold, or soft spots. Once the stem and papery cape are removed and the fruit is washed, tomatillos are best roasted or grilled to coax out their sweetness, then puréed or chopped. They may be frozen at this point or when fully cooked. Available Year Round. Product of Mexico.
DRIED OR FRESH CHILE PEPPERS
When you cook with tomatillos, chile peppers are most likely in the same recipe, complementing each other. As with fresh fruit and dried fruit, each has its own flavor profile and use. Texture and flavor are much more intense with dried peppers, and regardless of their color when fresh, dried peppers will always be dark red or hues of red to orange in color. Fresher dried peppers will be slightly flexible, though older ones are usable and yield less flavor. Before handling dried or fresh peppers, one should wear a pair of disposable gloves, which are removed once the peppers are cleaned and prepped. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling as an added safety measure before touching any parts of your skin, face, or body. Simply wipe the dried peppers with a clean paper towel or a lightly dampened cloth before cutting, frying, or hydrating. Many dried peppers will have a different name than their fresh version. You'll need to check Melissa's "Great Pepper Book" as your guide to the names, heat levels, and uses of more common dried peppers.
That same book can be a good resource for fresh peppers, too! Fresh peppers are sources of Vitamin C, but the real contributor to one's health is capsaicin, the natural chemical in peppers that provides heat, kills some viruses, aids in a healthy immune system and relieves pain, lowers blood pressure, and promotes healing of the stomach lining. Fresh spicy peppers are considered one of the 50 most nutrient-dense produce items on the planet*.
Select fresh peppers by their taut skin and firm feel. Steer clear of punctures, wrinkly skin, moldy tips, and dried or wilted stems. Seasonal weather often determines the intensity of the heat of the pepper, so many who cook with fresh peppers will smell the fruit while selecting them at the store, much as one would when selecting fresh fruit. Refrigerate unwashed fresh peppers in a paper bag up to 8 days. Store dried peppers in a dry, room-temperature pantry free of moisture. Fresh: Available year-round depending on variety. Dried: Available year-round. Products of Mexico and the Netherlands.
*As noted in Melissa's '50 Best Plants on the Planet'.
GREENS
Are you old enough to remember Granny or Mom reminding you to ‘eat your greens’? Did you know what they were talking about? Greens are the leafy green veggies that run the gamut of spinach, leaf lettuce varieties (esp. romaine), and varieties of kale, collards, and chard. Except for kale stems, all other greens generally have edible, crunchy stems for variety in texture. Greens are very good for your health because they are low in carbohydrates but packed with Vitamins A, B series, C, and K, and minerals. The heartier greens- romaine and kale- can be cleaned and then charred in a hot oven, searing pan, or grill for a bit of smokiness, then lightly dressed with vinaigrette or cream-based dressings to balance flavors and provide richness. All greens can be steamed, roasted, or heaven's sakes boiled (please don’t), or tossed with a bit of lemon or other citrus to tenderize their toothsome leaves. Use them shredded for slaws or sammie toppers, sauté in bacon and guild with dried fruit and nuts, include in frittatas and scrambles or hash, or add them toward the end of making soup just to heat through and wilt.
Select leafy greens that look fresh, not wilted, have whole leaves, no tears, discoloration, or mold. Except for romaine and mixed lettuces that have been washed and spun dry, refrigerate unwashed in a plastic bag up to three days, then rinse in a deep bowl of water, allow to drain, and spin dry. Wrap in a clean cloth or paper towel and refrigerate. Use within 3-4 days. Leafy greens are best frozen when included in soups or casseroles, up to three months. Available year-round. Product of USA or Mexico.
OKRA
This is one of the most misunderstood veggies in most regions of the U.S. When the word ‘okra’ is said, the response is either ‘ewww’ or ‘ooooh’ depending upon the cooking method used. A nutrient-dense vegetable*, okra is a source of protein, fiber, and Vitamin C, along with phytochemicals that can help reduce inflammation in the gut a well as reduce cognitive deficiency. The key is to prepare okra using a quick cook method, such as hot grill, sauté, breading, and deep frying, or even eating okra raw…no boiling or simmering, which causes the pectin to ooze.
Okra can provide a nice crunchy texture, sweet and smoky flavor when grilled, crunchy and addictive hot packed and pickled, or sliced into rounds and added to scrambled eggs and a dollop of Melissa’s Taqueria Salsa or garlic and tomato over a quinoa bowl drizzled with Costa Azul. Select firm okra with no discoloration. Refrigerate up to 4 days dry and unwashed in a paper bag. To prep, rinse and pat dry, then trim off the wilted part of the stem, but do not cut off the stem. Prepare as the recipe directs or lay flat in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze for future use, stored in a freezable container or bag. Available year-round, depending on the weather. Product of USA, Mexico, and Honduras.
GINGER & TURMERIC IMMUNITY BOOSTER PACK
Ginger and turmeric, whether combined or used separately, are powerhouses for immunity, especially during winter months. Both are rhizomes-not roots- and are staple ingredients in Asian cuisine. Turmeric has been used as a natural additive for decades in American processed foods and textiles- as a coloring agent from mustard yellow to cheesy orange and everything in between. Who knew turmeric’s sometimes bitter taste is an anti-inflammatory, helps reduce gum disease and cholesterol, to name a few benefits? Ginger, that spicy and peppery aromatic rhizome, is also an anti-inflammatory, reducing cell damage, pain, and nausea reducer that can add sweetness and zing to dishes.
Select plump rhizomes with no dark spots or mold. Turmeric tends to grow in smaller segments, while ginger may have a hand weighing several pounds. Both can be stored at cool room temperature away from moisture. Alternatively, separately wrap unpeeled in a dry paper towel placed in a clear container and refrigerate, using within a week. To peel either, use the edge of a teaspoon a gently scrape. Both may be frozen up to three weeks once peeled. Available year-round, conventional or USDA Certified Organic. Products of Peru and Fiji.
ORGANIC CABBAGE, GREEN
Cabbage is a veggie that isn’t considered a ‘go to’ for dinner, as peas and carrots, corn, green beans, and zucchini are. But once you understand the secret that cabbage, a relatively inexpensive vegetable per pound, adds lots of flavor to long-cooking soups, stews, broths, and other simmered dishes, you’ll be thinking of various ways to incorporate cabbage in your daily wintertime menus. Also, cabbage is a good ‘bristle brush’ for your digestive system. Throughout the year, cabbage is also used raw in salads or as a topping for tacos, pulled pork sammies, stuffing burritos, egg rolls, and dumplings, or fermented as sauerkraut. Complementary seasonings can be vinegary and sweet/sour, spicy, or umami-rich soy sauce, anchovy, and mushrooms, or cream sauces. Tasty add-ins run from crunchy water chestnuts or jicama to dried fruits and nuts, meats, fresh fruits, etc. Certified USDA Organic. USA grown. Refrigerate unwashed
NEW! PEELED BUTTERNUT SQUASH BOATS
In true form, Melissa’s removes the anxiety and time of prepping produce for consumption. We’ve done it again with butternut squash. Simply open the package and roast as is until fork-tender, then stuff with your favorite grains, proteins, or veggies. No more wrestling with a knife to cut open the squash or peel and seed it. For either squash, simply steam or oil and place on a cookie sheet to roast or cut into cubes and roast to desired tenderness.
Available year-round. Product of USA.
