What’s Cooking

Seasonal recipes, helpful tools, and a little news from us.

Top view of a red Le Creuset cast-iron pot on a wooden surface, with fresh carrots and a bundle of herbs nearby.
A table with a bowl of pomegranate seeds and fruit salad topped with star-shaped cookies, a plate of cookies and a small glass milk bottle. Wooden Scrabble tiles spell out "HAPPY NEW YEAR" on the table.

Resolutions, But Make Them Delicious

Seasonal, simple, and made for real life.

A new year always feels like a bit of a reset. January rolls in and suddenly we’ve got fresh ideas, new intentions, and that little nudge that says, “Okay — maybe this is the year I actually stick with it.”

For a lot of us, that looks like cooking at home more, eating a little better, wasting less food, saving some money, and picking up a few new skills along the way. And the kitchen is a pretty great place to start — it’s where those big resolutions turn into small, everyday habits.

Here you’ll find practical tips and tools to make the kitchen feel a little less intimidating and a lot more doable, easy recipes that actually fit into real life, and what’s in season right now.

So here’s to a new year, good food, and keeping things simple. Let’s get cooking!

Gather: News, Events & Community

Set of black and silver Hestan non-stick pots and pans with lids on a white marble countertop.

Hestan Titum Fusion

We’re excited to share that we now carry Hestan’s new Titum Fusion Nonstick line. This cookware has a super-durable, triple-reinforced surface that’s designed to handle everyday cooking while still releasing food effortlessly. It’s sleek, sturdy, and great for everything from eggs to weeknight sautés — come take a look next time you’re in!

Set of Cangshan kitchen knives and scissors stored in a wooden knife block on a marble countertop, with a halved purple cabbage on a small cutting board next to it.

Cangshan Knife Sale

We just stocked a bunch of new Cangshan knives — including some beautiful new styles — and they’re at really great prices. If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your everyday knife, now is the time!

Fresh vegetables displayed in wooden crates including greens, carrots, beets, radishes, and onions.

Lane County Farmer’s Market

The Lane County Farmers Market reopens January 17th, right when winter produce is really hitting its stride. You’ll see plenty of hearty greens, squash, onions, carrots, potatoes, and lots of delicious root veggies.

The recipe ideas below are flexible on purpose — swap things in and out based on what looks good and what’s available — and feel good knowing you’re supporting the people who grow our food.

Logo for LOVR Kitchen featuring a stylized leaf with a spoon and fork intertwined.

LOVR Kitchen

Here in our local food community, we love spotlighting neighbors who help people feel confident in the kitchen. We’re excited to feature a wonderful local business offering hands-on cooking classes, LOVR Kitchen — a welcoming place to learn new techniques, explore seasonal ingredients, and cook together. Supporting businesses like this strengthens our community and reminds us why we love cooking. Be sure to visit their website for the current class calendar and upcoming offerings!

In the Kitchen: Recipes + Recommended Tools

When the weather turns cold, the kitchen becomes the best place to be. January in the Willamette Valley brings plenty to cook with — hearty root veggies like beets, carrots, potatoes, parsnips, and celeriac; loads of leafy greens like kale, chard, collards, spinach, and arugula; plus broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, garlic, winter squash, apples, pears… and even truffles. You’ll spot all of it at our local farmers markets and grocers.

Rather than posting specific recipes this month, we’re sharing meal ideas that you can customize based on what you like to eat. These ideas are all about real-life cooking — budget-friendly ingredients, healthier comfort food, and simple meals that fit into a busy week.

When we cook with what’s in season, we spend less, waste less, and support the growers right here in our community. And honestly, there’s something pretty great about bundling up, wandering the market, chatting with the vendors, and choosing what looks good to bring home and cook.

So grab a pot, gather some produce, and let’s make something delicious together.

A black Staub enameled cast iron pot with the lid slightly open, containing a baked dish with roasted vegetables, beans, and herbs on a rust-colored surface.

Winter Vegetable Soup

Why we love it: Affordable, cozy, and easy to customize based on what you’ve got.

Seasonal stars:
Carrots • onions • kale or cabbage • potatoes or winter squash • Optional: beans or lentils from the pantry, or ground meat of your choice

Why it’s perfect:
It’s warm, filling, and makes great use of winter produce without stretching the budget.

Helpful tools:
A sturdy Dutch oven for slow simmering, a reliable peeler, and a food chopper to make prep faster and easier.

A blue Staub enameled cast iron pot filled with white bean and kale soup on a white marble countertop, with a striped cloth, garlic, bread, and spices nearby.

The Staub Dutch Oven is the do-everything pot — perfect for soups, stews, braises, and bread. It cooks evenly, holds heat like a champ, and looks great on the table. We carry it in numerous sizes and colors, so you can grab the one that fits your kitchen (and your style).

Person peeling a sweet potato using a vegetable peeler on a wooden cutting board, with chopped cheese, salt, and additional sweet potatoes nearby.

The Sharple by Dreamfarm is a peeler that literally sharpens itself every time you use the protective cover — so it always stays razor-ready. It glides through veggies, has a comfy grip, and the built-in safety cover keeps the blade (and your fingers) protected when it’s in the drawer.

A black food chopper with a transparent storage container underneath, containing chopped onions and garlic, with sliced onions and garlic.

The PL8 food chopper makes prep way easier — just press down and it neatly chops onions, veggies, nuts, and more in seconds. The blades are sharp, the container keeps everything tidy, and it’s simple to clean, so weeknight cooking goes a whole lot faster.

Roasted mixed vegetables including Brussels sprouts, carrots, sweet potatoes, red onions, and yellow potatoes on a baking sheet garnished with sprigs of rosemary.

Sheet-Pan Winter Veg & Sausage

Why we love it: Everything cooks on one pan — minimal dishes, big flavor, easy weeknight win.

Seasonal stars:
Potatoes • carrots • parsnips • beets • onions • Brussels sprouts or cabbage • Sausage — or swap in canned beans for a budget-friendly vegetarian version

Why it’s perfect:
Chop, toss with oil and seasoning, spread on a pan, and roast until caramelized and tender. It’s flexible, inexpensive, and great for using up whatever winter veggies are left in the fridge.

Helpful tools:
A sturdy sheet pan that won’t warp, a silicone baking mat for easy cleanup, and a sturdy spatula or turner for flipping everything halfway through.

Someone sprinkling salt on roasted carrots and asparagus on a baking sheet.

We love the Nordic Ware Naturals Big Batch Sheet Pan, and it’s perfect for this recipe — it gives everything room to spread out, so the veggies caramelize instead of steaming. The sturdy aluminum heats evenly for crisp edges and easy browning.

Two rectangular silicone baking mats with green and brown borders, labeled 'Mrs. Anderson's Baking'.

This set of silicone mats from Mrs. Anderson’s — one for sweet, one for savory, so flavors don’t mix — is perfect for all those one-pan meals you’ll be cooking up this winter. They keep cookies, veggies, and sheet-pan dinners from sticking, and you can skip the parchment and extra oil.

A black slotted spatula with a perforated head and long handle.

The Tovolo Roasted Veggie Tool slides under veggies without squishing them, making flipping and serving easy. It’s sturdy, lightweight, and safe for nonstick pans — a simple tool you’ll use all the time.

Cast iron skillet with cooked greens topped with eggs, garnished with herbs, and a slice of bread on top, resting on a striped cloth on a wooden table with salt and pepper shakers nearby.

Sautéed Winter Greens

Why we love it: Fast, flavorful, and a super-easy way to get more greens on the table.

Seasonal stars:
Kale • chard • collards • spinach — whatever looks best at the market • a little garlic and olive oil

Why it’s perfect:
It’s flexible, cooks in minutes, and works as a side, tossed with grains, or piled on toast with an egg. Simple, healthy, and budget-friendly.

Helpful tools:
An herb/green stripper to pull leaves off tough stems in seconds, handy garlic tools for quick mincing or pressing, and an oil mister to get just the right amount of olive oil in the pan.

Person using a green plastic herb stripper to remove kale leaves off of the stem, over a wooden bowl.

The Cat Cora Lettuce Knife with Herb Stripper makes prepping winter greens so easy. Slide the kale (or other winter greens) stem through the right-size hole and pull — the tough rib stays, the leaves come off. The serrated blade chops everything without bruising, as well.

Two garlic bulbs, garlic cloves, and a green silicone garlic peeler on a white background.
A clear plastic garlic twist mincer containing two garlic cloves.

The Silicone Garlic Peeler from Fante’s takes the skins right off — just roll the cloves inside and they come out clean like magic. Then pop the cloves into Fante’s Twist Mincer — it crushes the garlic into tiny, even pieces without sticky fingers or smelly cutting boards. Simple, fast, and way less mess.

Yellow oil spray bottle with black and red spray nozzle

The EVO Glass Oil Sprayer lets you mist just the right amount of oil over veggies, sheet pans, and salads — no aerosol, no mystery ingredients. It gives a light, even spray, helps cut down on waste, and looks nice enough to keep out on the counter.

Bowl of mashed potatoes mixed with chopped kale and green onions, topped with a pat of butter and black pepper.

Colcannon

Why we love it: Cozy, comforting, and wonderfully budget-friendly.

Seasonal stars:
Potatoes • cabbage or kale • a little butter or olive oil • splash of milk • Optional: ham, sausage or corned beef

Why it’s perfect:
Simple ingredients, big comfort — and a great way to stretch potatoes into a satisfying winter side (or even a meal).

Helpful tools:
A mandoline for thin, even cabbage slices, and a potato ricer or masher to get that perfectly fluffy texture.

A metal potato ricer with a black handle, a raw potato, a sweet potato, and fresh parsley on a white background.

This Potato Ricer from RSVP makes the fluffiest mashed potatoes — no lumps, no fuss. Just load in cooked potatoes and squeeze, and they come out light and silky (perfect for colcannon). It’s sturdy, easy to use, and kind of a game-changer if you love really good mash.

Person using a mandoline slicer.

The OXO Chef’s Mandoline Slicer makes even slices in seconds — potatoes, onions, cabbage, you name it. It’s especially great for colcannon, since it makes quick work of shredding cabbage so it cooks down fast and tender. Adjustable thickness, sturdy build, and way faster than slicing by hand.

Silicone potato masher with black handle and gray metal frame, labeled 'Tovolo'

The Tovolo Silicone Potato Masher makes smooth, fluffy mash without scratching your pots, especially if you’re using a non-stick pot. The sturdy core gives you good leverage, while the silicone head glides through potatoes (and veggies) easily — and it all goes straight in the dishwasher when you’re done.

A metal potato masher that flips flat.

We love the Prepara Flip Masher — it pops open for sturdy, even mashing, then folds flat when you’re done so it slips right into a drawer. It’s smart, space-saving, and surprisingly powerful for such a simple tool.