The beauty of fall and the joy of the harvest have slowly started to introduce us to the wonderment of theWinter Solstice. Some folks don’t much like winter, but I do, as long as the bitter cold comes infrequently. There is a static loveliness about a tree in winter repose. The artwork of the limbs is now vivid, showy and striking. A leafless grapevine allows us to see the struggle needed to produce good wine. The patch of collard greens down the road, when dusted with snow, is a beacon that growth continues,
ever ongoing.

The season is filled with holidays of all peoples. The celebrations are wide and varied, but happy with family, friends and a spirit of humanity. As December rolls into the New Year, we make promises to ourselves, realize that basketball season is getting serious, that “Old Christmas” or the “Twelfth Night” along our coast renews the soul and may be something worth keeping within us.We will celebrate super Sundays and super loves, and maybe by the end of February, a redbud may pop its bloom.

Eating locally and seasonally may seem a lot more difficult during these months, but nothingcould be further from the truth. More farmers’ markets are going to keep year-round schedules, giving us easy access to wonderful bitter greens, sweet winter squash and root vegetables. Don’t forget the proteins, full-flavored and rich pork, beef and poultry, as well as the boatload of seafood from North Carolina’s coast. Besides wild-caught seafood, North Carolina has become a haven for farming catfish, clam, and oysters available the entire year.

This time of the year your cooking changes gears to embrace braising, roasting and slow cooking to coax out the ingenious flavors that reside in winter’s edibles.

For winter, Nancie McDermott takes you to get to know the women behind Carolina Creamery’s cheeses. They are just one of a host of cheese makers in this state that delight us with great cheese products. Cheese is a perfect friend for entertaining. Don’t pass on checking out the “dueling pork shanks” as two of the Piedmont’s best chefs turn in two directions that elevate the lowly shank into a thing of robust goodness, the same yet different. Amber Nimocks takes us to the Campus Farmer’s Market at NCSU. This market is part of a welcome phenomenon happening on many college campuses that I see as a major positive for the next generation, the way they will look on our food supply and the way they may mold the future of food. Sandra Gutierrez does her usual great job with recipes for this issue’s star, cheese

Think about this: isn’t food always a welcome gift?We’ve given you a few suggestions, that you may not have thought about.Why not link our souls and our money in a perfect circle of local impacts?

It’s an exciting time for local food in North Carolina. Is your plate ready?

Fred Thompson & Belinda Ellis