This month, I decided that I would embrace the freedom of the month, letting winter and seasonal produce guide my cooking. One late night, I pulled up a list of in-season fruits and veggies. I scrawled a handful of ideas and set them aside to linger in my mind. Then, I set off for the farmers' market.

Market days are slower this time of year, yet the produce is vibrant and unique to the season. Radishes, cauliflower, and carrots in shades of yellow, purple and white, baskets of shiitake and wood ear mushrooms, and blood oranges at their peak, as well as dark leafy greens, were among the most common.

In my first weekend of farmers' market shopping, I had a vague idea of what I wanted but set aside my hopes to make room for whatever jumped out at me. Early in the market, I spotted what I thought to be a small pile of sunchokes, knotted and funky shaped in all of their glory. I took note and promised myself I'd circle back later. I had a small but doubtful hope of finding sunchokes that I had cast away from my mind, as I thought the chances were slim. When I came back and saw them, making sure I wasn't mistaking ginger for sunchokes, I went for them. A few bunches of turnips - small, bright and early in the season, promising tender skin and fresh flavor - were the first winter vegetables I picked up. Another under-appreciated root veggie to accompany the lesser-known tubers.

Sunchokes and turnips with garlic and oregano ready to go in the oven

You might see sunchokes at a restaurant, served roasted with carrots alongside a main dish, or nestled in the corner of a farmers' market stand, a curious little pile of tubers resembling ginger. They pop up now and again, reminding me of their nutty flavor, how creamy and rich they can be simply roasted.

When in doubt, roasting root veggies is the way to go. It brings out the sweetness of the vegetable while staying uncomplicated and true to their natural flavor. This recipe is a simple take on roasted winter root vegetables, yielding caramelized turnips and sunchokes, roasted with garlic and oregano, and topped with a homemade honey mustard sauce made two ways.

Roasted Sunchokes and Turnips with Creamy Honey Mustard

A little update: I'm participating in The Little Plantation's Eat Capture Share winter food photography challenge over on Instagram! It’s a wonderful way to explore food photography, styling, and editing, with each week revolving around a different theme. All of my photos will, of course, be shared here, interspersed throughout my posts, but if you would like to see the other entries, then head over to Instagram. Can’t wait to share!

Roasted Sunchokes and Turnips with Creamy Honey Mustard

Yield: 4-6 servings | Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the Roasted Vegetables

1 lb sunchokes, cut into 1 inch pieces (roughly 1 inch as sunchokes are very funky shapes)
4 small turnips, stems removed, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 sprigs of oregano, leaves removed
3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
generous pinch of salt and pepper

Note: Sunchokes and young turnips have a thin, tender skin that roasts beautifully. To clean, scrub gently with a brush to remove excess dirt and pat dry. If your turnips are on the larger side (anything bigger than a baseball), peel the skin.

For the Honey Mustard

2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon crème fraîche (optional, for a creamy version of the honey mustard)

Note: I recommend dressing the sunchokes and turnips with the regular honey mustard and having the creamy sauce on the side!

Method

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Toss the sunchokes, turnips, and garlic in the olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper. Transfer to a cast iron pan or baking dish and roast for 35-45 minutes, mixing halfway through, until the turnips and sunchokes are tender and golden.
Meanwhile, whisk together the two mustards, honey, lemon juice, and crème fraîche (optional). Serve with roasted vegetables.