While we BB Barns staffers wait for spring, we’re taking this opportunity to dig deep into our freezers and come out with frozen garden goodies for chilies, soups, and stews that fit this cold weather. We’re blessed to have some fabulous cooks on staff (gardeners and foodies are generally partners in crime), with some outstanding dishes in their repertoire. I picked a few favorites to share with you.

Mediterranean Humus is quick and easy. This is a football weekend dish, party dish, or dinner if you get home too late for anything else dish! Serve with pita chips or eat right off the spoon. This one is basically opening cans and doing some chopping, but I consider it homemade if I open a can, chop an ingredient, or preheat the oven. If Jen McGee, our gifts buyer, gets anywhere near a plate of hummus, she will eat all of it. Just a warning.

Southwestern Chili, compliments of Letha Hinman, our annuals buyer. Letha is one of our best cooks, and she promises this stew is good for a winter day served with salad and bread, or a summer’s eve, served with chips and margaritas. Letha used her frozen tomatillos for this beautiful dish in substitution for the green chilies.

Brussels Sprouts Warm Slaw with Granny Smith apples. I chose this one because, well, Brussels sprouts, and everything tastes better with tangy Granny Smith apples. Brussels sprouts are replacing kale as the new “it” food. Makes a great side dish and is dee-lish as a leftover. This one is now a staff favorite because we all love Brussels sprouts and apples. Compliments of myself, and there is no picture because my 22 year old son ate it. 

We’ll be sharing more recipes in the future from BB Barns staff. Enjoy! Please share some of your own recipes on our Facebook page with us.

Written by Cinthia Milner, OSA, Garden Coach, and blog writer.

BB Barns serves Asheville, Western North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia.