Last Sunday marked the beginning of winter for the Chinese solar terms, that is, the beginning of winter. As the city prepares to cope with the effects of the sudden drop in temperature brought about by the cold wave, winter menus are being expanded in homes and restaurants.

While enjoying the lamb stew and hot pot to keep the body warm and comfortable, don’t forget healthy vegetables. Although winter is not the best season for fresh produce, it still provides abundant vegetables and fruits due to modern agriculture and logistics.

This winter, due to the sharp drop in pork prices from last year, vegetable prices are catching up with meat prices.

Although vegetables such as radishes and cabbage are not on the winter menu, many green vegetables, such as spinach, leeks, mustard greens, cabbage, and kale, are freeze-resistant and can withstand light snow and low temperatures.

In China, there is the concept of "double vegetables"-vegetables that are affected by winter frost.

The poet Bai Juyi (772-846 AD) of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) wrote a poem about Chinese cabbage, saying that the heart of frostbite is not dead, but it has become sweeter.

Choy Sum is a green vegetable with a longer flowering period, a rounder stem and a thicker texture. It is also called kale. It can withstand a little frost in early winter, making them sweeter and tenderer.

High-quality Chinese kale is perfect for poaching in boiling water (until the leaves turn bright green and the stems are soft), then drain and season with light soy sauce, minced garlic, chopped green onions and a splash of hot oil to enhance the aroma .

Chinese kale is also ideal for quick stir-frying. The flower part is particularly delicious.

You can also find another kind of Chinese kale in the market-red Chinese kale with fuchsia stems, yellow flowers and green leaves, also known as Caitai. It is an expensive vegetable because it is mainly produced in Hubei Province and shipped to the national market; the cost of 500 grams is as high as 15 yuan.

The stems, leaves and flowers of red kale are edible, but some people do not like the texture of the flowers and remove them before cooking. The stem is very special and will turn green when fully cooked.

The taste of red kale is different from the ordinary green varieties, and the taste is stronger, but a bit bitter. It is usually fried with garlic and ginger, and it is especially good when added to marinated pork because the extra oil significantly enhances the flavor.

Spinach is an unremarkable, healthy green vegetable with a sweeter taste and less grassy taste. Frostbite spinach is particularly sweet, but not astringent. The texture of red root spinach in winter is also slightly different, because it is no longer crispy, but soft and pillowy.

Spinach can be sautéed with garlic and salt, or boiled with basic seasoning to make a salad. For winter hot pot meals, spinach is the icing on the cake. After plate after plate of hearty meat, seafood and offal, it is more satisfying to finish it with spinach, noodles and a little broth and sauce.

For those who are prone to kidney stones, it is best to avoid excessive consumption of fresh raw spinach because it is rich in oxalic acid. However, immersing it in water can neutralize the acid.

Chilblain greens, known as Chinese cabbage in the West, are essential vegetables in season. Unlike ordinary cabbage, which is larger in size and crunchy in texture, frostbitten cabbage is soft in texture and sweet in taste. Shorter varieties are particularly good, with particularly sweet stems. When it is fully cooked, the vegetables will become very soft and have no fiber texture. It can be fried alone or paired with recombined shiitake mushrooms to increase the flavor.

Frostbite vegetables are usually more expensive than the same varieties sold in other seasons.

Frost not only has a positive effect on green leafy vegetables. Frosted radishes also become sweeter and crisper. In the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) agricultural literature recorded in the "Fan Sheng Shu", it is believed that the radish must be frosted before harvesting, otherwise the taste will be astringent and spicy.

The ideal time to harvest radishes is between frost and snow, as they will freeze when it is too cold. The harvested radishes are usually stored in the cellar.

Shepherd's purse, also known as shepherd's purse, is a kind of mustard that is very popular in the Yangtze River Delta. It is usually served in winter and spring, mostly chopped and mixed in fillings to make wontons, dumplings and spring rolls.

Shepherd's purse has very lush leaves, thin stems, and fillings, boiled with soft tofu, seasoned with salt and white pepper to make a nutritious and delicious soup.

Shepherd's purse scrambled eggs is also a very popular recipe. Because vegetables do not have a unique taste, this combination can be used to make breakfast pancakes.

It can be preserved and used in fillings and soups, just rinse and boil it in boiling water for a few seconds, then squeeze out the water and frost.

Fresh shepherd's purse (left) and pork shepherd's purse dumplings.

Fanxinhuang, yellow-hearted Chinese cabbage, is a variety with short white stems and leaves, green outer layer and yellow core. It is a delicious vegetable in autumn and winter. It is slightly sweeter than ordinary Chinese cabbage and has a more tender texture.

Fan Xin Huang is an ideal stir-fry, without adding other ingredients, it can also be stewed with pork and vermicelli (noodles made from sweet potato starch) to complete a nutritious one-pot dish that perfectly matches rice or steamed buns.

Broccoli is also in season, rich in nutrients, and is especially popular among people with healthy diets. As a member of the cabbage family, it can be fried with minced garlic or steamed with light seasoning.

Broccoli stems are not as tasty as florets, and they are also harder to cook. One technique is to boil broccoli stems in boiling water and add seasonings to make a salad. They can also be marinated in the refrigerator for several hours as a side dish and eaten with porridge.

Broccoli is a popular winter vegetable.

Stir-fried Shiitake Mushrooms with Chilblain Cabbage

A classic vegetarian combination with great taste.

Fresh frostbite cabbage: 500 g

Some chopped green onions and salt

1. Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in water until they regain size and shape, soft and fleshy in texture. Boil the shiitake mushrooms until fully cooked.

2. Rinse the cabbage thoroughly, paying attention to the dirt near the end of the shank, then break it apart, and boil it briefly in water to turn the color into a bright green.

3. Add oil to the wok, saute the minced garlic and chopped green onion, fry for a fragrance, then add the cooked shiitake mushrooms and cabbage.

4. Add light soy sauce and salt to taste.

Stir-fried Cabbage with Mushrooms

Stir-fry with red cabbage and bacon

A special dish of Hubei cuisine, this simple stir-fried dish is particularly rich, very suitable for a bowl of rice in winter.

Bright red kale: 300 grams

Fat and lean marinated pork: 100 grams

1. Wash the bacon, steam it with a little ginger and cooking wine, then cut into thin slices to separate the fat and the thin.

2. Chop the garlic and ginger, wash the red cabbage to remove the hard ends of the stalks, and then cut the vegetables into several sections.

3. Heat a little cooking oil in the wok, add the sliced ​​bacon, add a little cooking wine and fry until the fat comes out, then cook the slices of lean meat, take out the bacon and set aside.

4. In the same wok, add minced garlic and minced ginger, stir fry until the aroma comes out.

5. Pour in the red cabbage, stir fry over high heat, put the marinated meat back into the pot, wait until the vegetables are cooked, add salt to taste and serve.

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