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“Plus, think of all the gasoline it takes to bring those bananas here,” Mom pointed out. My friend was quiet while the wheels turned inside her head. “I never thought about that before,” she admitted.

Kate has grown up to become passionate about farming and eating organic food. Since the banana incident, she has volunteered on small farms and developed a sincere interest in agricultural methods that preserve biodiversity. She looks back at that conversation in the grocery store as a life-changing moment. Some things you learn by having to work around the word “no.”

Of course local eating gets trickier in wintertime. Fresh fruits and vegetables are rare or just gone then, for most of us. In the colder months we have to think roots, not fruits. Potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips, and celariac cover the full spectrum of color. Winter squash are delicious too; most people I know have never eaten one, probably because they never needed to. They couldn’t see them for all the bananas in the way.

Each season requires thinking about food in a different way. In her book Local Flavors, Deborah Madison writes that when she teaches a fresh summer eggplant dish in her cooking classes, students always say two things: “Wow, I never liked eggplant before, but I love this!” and “What kind of eggplants should I buy in December, to make this for Christmas?” It takes a while for them to realize that these particular fresh eggplants were so yummy because they weren’t buying them in the winter. Most of us agree to put away our sandals and bikinis when the leaves start to turn, even if they’re our favorite clothes. We can learn to apply similar practicality to our foods. Here are some delicious winter-vegetable recipes, along with a week of dinners for the cold months at our house.

BRAISED WINTER SQUASH

2 pounds winter squash, peeled, halved, and sliced into

½-inch rounds 2 tablespoons butter

2 cups apple cider

1 teaspoon salt

Rosemary and pepper to taste

Melt butter in skillet with rosemary; after a few minutes add the squash, salt, and cider. You may need to add some additional cider (or water), enough to cover the squash. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and braise for 20 minutes or until tender. At this point the juice should be reduced to a glaze. If not, raise heat for a few minutes until excess liquid evaporates. Add pepper and a splash of balsamic vinegar if you like.

BUTTERNUT BEAN SOUP

(serves 4)

1½ cups dried white beans, soaked overnight and drained

3 medium portobello mushroom caps, sliced (optional)

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon thyme

1 tablespoon sage

4 teaspoons rosemary

Combine beans and spices in a large saucepan, add water to cover amply, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until beans are tender and most water has cooked off. Add mushrooms toward the end.

2 butternut or hubbard squash, halved lengthwise and seeded

Olive oil

While beans are cooking, drizzle a large roasting pan with olive oil and arrange squash skin side down. Cook at 400° for about 40 minutes, until fully tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from oven and serve each half squash filled with a generous scoop of bean soup.

VEGETARIAN CHILI

1 pound dry kidney beans, soaked overnight and drained 1 cup chopped carrots

2 large onions, chopped

1 cup frozen peppers (or ½ cup dried) 3 cloves garlic, minced

Olive oil

28 ounces canned tomatoes, undrained

4 cups vegetable stock or tomato juice

3–5 tablespoons chili powder

4–5 bay leaves

1 tablespoon cumin

Sauté garlic, peppers, and onions in olive oil until golden, add chopped carrots, and cook until tender. Combine with beans and remaining ingredients; stir well. Thin with extra water, stock, or tomato juice as needed. Cover and simmer for one hour. If you are related to my mother, you have to add 8 ounces of elbow macaroni, 15 minutes before serving.

SWEET POTATO QUESADILLAS

2 medium sweet potatoes

½ onion

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon oregano

1 tablespoon basil

1 teaspoon cumin

Chile powder to taste

Olive oil for