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What if a seasonal winter produce haul could be as versatile, delicious, and exciting as a flat of berries in peak summer?

This week we’re sharing our 10 must-have winter farmers’ market produce picks, and the recipes to go with them.

By the end of this episode you’ll:

1. Discover a viral sweet potato recipe that will change how you make it forever
2. Learn simple and quick techniques for coaxing sweetness and depth from veggies like parsnips, turnips, and cabbage
3. Find out about our go-to winter weeknight meals, like a sheetpan chicken dinner full of greens and a rustic cabbage skillet dish

Tune in now to learn how the winter farmers' market might surprise you, and how to turn seasonal produce into satisfying meals you’ll want to dig into all season long!

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Links

Sweet Potato:

New technique for the best whole roasted japanese sweet potatoes by Jamesyworld, + the viral TikTok cheese stuffed version from The Kitchen

And our favorite Carla Lalli Music recipe for steamed sweet potatoes with tahini butter for NYT Cooking (unlocked)

Squash:

Zucotte, garlicky braised squash, by Whistling Train Farm in Kent, WA

Bok Choy/Tatsoi:

Sheetpan Scallion Chicken with Bok Choy by Kay Chunfrom for NYT Cooking (unlocked)

We also like to use bok choy and tastoi instead of lettuce in salads

Cabbage:

Venetian smothered cabbage, “Verze Sofegae”

And a shout out to our favorite cabbage soup from Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden and Martha Holmberg

Leek:

Two takes on a leef tart, one straightforward Leek puff pastry tart from It’s A Veg World Afterall, or a stunning upside down leek tart from Live Eat Learn

And we love Braised leeks from Fox and Briar too!

Turnips:

Ever bring home beautiful winter vegetables from the market, and then completely blank on what to cook with them?

In this bite-sized episode, we share delicious moments about the best things we ate this week to inspire each other — and you.

By the end of this episode, you’ll want to make a deeply comforting, grandmother-approved borscht that celebrates winter vegetables, plus a one-pot, meatless main designed to use up every last leafy green, finished with a bold, garlicky, crispy topping that makes it irresistible.

Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration, and turn your winter produce into meals you’ll genuinely look forward to cooking.

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Links:

Sonya’s family borscht recipe from our free Substack

Utica Greens from Chesterfield Restaurant in Utica, NY; adapted by Jim Shahin for NYT Cooking

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Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084

For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here.

Order Sonya's cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at foodfriendspod@gmail.com!

Struggling to put together easy, satisfying weeknight meals during these chilly winter months?

This week, we’re taking the guesswork out of meal planning and sharing ten fast dinners for nights when you don’t want to rely on takeout or make an extra trip to the grocery store. All quick. All comforting. All genuinely delicious.

By the end of this episode, you’ll:

1. Discover flavorful ways to turn a single package of ground beef, turkey, or pork into a dinner that rivals your favorite takeout
2. Learn a simple tofu technique that transforms it into a craveable, meatless main
3. Explore pasta dishes beyond spaghetti and red sauce — think silky sauces, peppery greens, toasted breadcrumbs, and brothy bowls of comfort

Press play now and walk away with a handful of reliable weeknight dinners you’ll want to make on repeat all winter long!

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Links:

Turkish pasta by Rachel Perlmutter for The Kitchen (sub red pepper paste, or with a few roasted bell peppers, with a spoonful of tomato paste)

Salad pasta, by Anna Stockwell for Epicurious

10-minute Thai Basil from The Woks of Life

Egg Roll in a Bowl by Ree Drummond

Garlic butter steak bites by Coco Morante for Simply Recipes, and easy mashed cauliflower from Joyful Healthy Eats

Chicken with mustard cream sauce, by Sarah Carey for Martha Stewart

30-minute gado gado bowl by Minimalist Baker

Salmon patties by Nagi Maehashi of Recipe Tin Eats

I can't believe it's not chicken (it’s tofu!) by Nisha Vora for NYT Cooking (unlocked)

Butter beans, paprika, and piquillo peppers, excerpted from Three: Acid, Texture, Contrast by Selena Kiazim

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Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084

For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here.

Order Sonya's cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at