Locavore’s Delight: Local Recipes for Winter

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apples, Dried Cranberries and Sage can play the role of a hearty main course or a nutritious side dish. Photos by Joe Lavine

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Chef Michael Leviton lives in New England, where winters are famously long and the growing seasons short. But Leviton is a creative genius when it comes to using what’s at hand—even during the cold seasons.

Chef Leviton, owner of Lumiere Restaurant in Newton, Massachusetts, and executive chef of Boston’s Persephone organic bistro, is a locavore—someone who eats foods grown and raised locally, usually within a 100-mile radius. Though it’s easier to eat locally in the summer months, reducing meat and dairy intake and using easy, age-old produce storage techniques make it possible to eat a low-carbon diet year-round. “I created this vegetarian menu for Natural Home using the abundance of local produce and flavorings,” he says. “The squash and brussels sprouts were picked in late autumn but stored in root cellars. I get my mushrooms from a local producer who raises cultivated exotic mushrooms all winter long; if they’re in a dark, moist climate, they’re fine!”

Benefiting the environment is not the chef’s only motivation to eat local foods. “Local food tastes better!” Leviton says. “Why eat something that traveled thousands of miles when we can opt for food that has been recently harvested and handled with care?  Even our maple syrup, apple cider and cranberries are local.” 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apples, Dried Cranberries, Sage and Cider-Maple Vinaigrette 

Serves 4 to 6

This hearty first course also can be served as a side dish with roasted chicken, turkey or pork chops.

Brussels Sprouts

• ¾ pound brussels sprouts, stems trimmed, outer leaves removed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 to 3 apples, cubed
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage, diced
• Fresh sage, for garnish (optional)

Cider-maple vinaigrette 

• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• ¾ cup canola or safflower oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut brussels sprouts in half lengthwise. Rinse and drain thoroughly.
3. Pour olive oil into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, then add sprouts, salt and pepper; toss to blend. Roast 20 to 30 minutes, tossing occasionally, until tender and golden brown. Meanwhile, pour boiling water over cranberries in a bowl. Let stand 10 minutes, then drain.
4. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add apples and sauté 5 to 10 minutes or until tender and lightly browned (but not mushy).
5. To make vinaigrette: Whisk mustard, vinegar and maple syrup until blended. Add oil slowly while whisking constantly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. To serve: Combine brussels sprouts, apples, cranberries and sage, tossing gently. Divide mixture evenly among 4 to 6 plates. Drizzle with vinaigrette (1 to 2 tablespoons per serving), and serve warm. 

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