What’s in season – January

The hardiest kale varieties stand up to all weathers, producing attractive leaves in shades of blue, green or purple when much of the veg plot looks bare. Kale is probably the easiest brassica to grow.

Make a warming chicken, kale & mushroom pie that the whole family will love. It’s a great comforting dinner that can be on your table in under an hour. Plus, the leftovers are conveniently freezable, allowing you to whip up a wholesome meal in a pinch after a particularly long day.

Or why not try a vegetarian Christmas dinner this year? Our beetroot & squash wellingtons with kale pesto make a beautiful vegan centrepiece. Filled with lentils and chestnuts, it will keep you satisfied all afternoon.

Kale is also a great source of vitamin C read our helpful guide on the top five health benefits of kale to find out more facts about this superfood, then try our kale smoothie for a mood-boosting start to your day.

To add more green to your plate, see our kale recipes.

Parsnips

The fact that the parsnip is a member of the carrot family comes as no surprise – it looks just like one, aside from its creamy white colour. It has an earthy but sweet flavour and is great used in hearty winter roasts, soups and stews.

Parsnips are often used as a vegetable side dish during festive celebrations like Christmas and Boxing Day dinners. Try our honey-roast parsnips for the perfect balance of earthiness and sweetness from the glaze. After these festivities, a great way to use up your glut of leftover parsnips is our parsnip latkes with smoked haddock & poached egg, or use them in this easy sweet weekend bake of parsnip & maple syrup cake.

See our parsnip recipes for more ideas.

Celeriac

Meet the underrated champion of the vegetable realm—celeriac. Its knobbly, unconventional appearance conceals a subtle yet distinctive flavour reminiscent of celery, with nutty undertones. Experiment with celeriac by incorporating it into comforting mashed dishes, robust slow-cooked creations, or savour its classic form.

Though it may seem gnarly on the outside, the celeriac, akin to a turnip, has a soft white flesh that proves remarkably versatile. Indulge your taste buds in our creamy celeriac, pancetta & thyme soup, where the tender celeriac finds an exquisite partner in salty pancetta. Or try our whole roasted celeriac – a beautifully simple side dish that works well with roast meats. Gluten-free and requiring only seven ingredients, it’s simple yet flavourful. Catering to diverse dietary preferences, our vegan celeriac dauphinoise stands out as another brilliant side dish.

Use this root veg in our celeriac recipes.

Cauliflower

Cauliflower is a versatile veg. It can be eaten raw in salads, lightly cooked or roasted until sweet and charred. Try the latter as delicious roasted cauliflower steaks.

The best way to make cauliflower rice is to blitz the florets in a food processor until they resemble couscous grains, then evenly spread them out on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and roast at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 12-15 mins. We taste tested various methods in the Good Food kitchen and this was the best – see more on the best way to cook cauliflower rice.

Tip: Don’t chuck out cauliflower leaves – they can be used similarly to cabbage. Remove the tough central stem and shred the leaves before cooking.

Find more ideas with our cauliflower recipes.

Browse recipes for, and information on, other ingredients in season in January:

• Clementine
• Grapefruit
• Radicchio
• Bramley apple
• Whiting
• Orange
• Date
• Apple
• Lemon
• Pear
• Turnip
• Mussels
• Pomegranate
• Oyster
• Chicory
• Purple sprouting broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Celery
• Leek
• Salsify
• Onion
• Goose
• Jerusalem artichoke
• Venison
• Cabbage
• Pak choi
• Beetroot
• Swede
• Shallots

Seasonal food dates in January:

1-31 January – Slow cooking month

Use your trusty kitchen gadget with one of our easy slow cooker recipes. Just assemble your dish, relax and allow all the flavours to combine.

1-31 January – Vegan January

Start your year in a positive light by looking after animals, the environment and your health. Our selection of vegan recipes can inspire you to succeed in this month-long challenge.

16 January – International hot & spicy food day

Whether you’re a spice lover or want to take your first adventurous step into the unknown world of heat, we have you covered. Check out our spicy chicken recipes and spicy vegetarian recipes, or for an introduction to mild curries, read our helpful guide on the 10 best mild Indian curries.

Check out more seasonal recipes and information...

Top 20 winter recipes
10 ways with cauliflower
Top 10 winter soup recipes
Dry January: what are the benefits and drawbacks?
How to beat the January blues

Emma Crawforth is a qualified horticulturist who trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and is the gardening editor for BBC Gardeners’ World. Miriam Nice is a published author and illustrator. She has written over 350 recipes for BBC Good Food.

The January issue of BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine is on sale now.