Cooking is a family-friendly activity for the holidays

(NC) As winter settles in, it’s the perfect time to step away from screens and enjoy an opportunity to cook with your family. What better way to spend quality time in the colder months than by making a hearty stew full of your favourite local vegetables, like carrots and potatoes?

Cooking together can be a wonderful bonding experience, allowing your kids or grandkids to learn essential life skills while having fun. Start by gathering the ingredients, which include a great mix of vegetables, herbs and spices.

Beyond just meal prep, cooking together teaches valuable lessons about the benefits of healthy home-cooked meals. By choosing fresh, local ingredients, you can create dishes that are both delicious and nutritious. Use this opportunity to discuss the importance of supporting local farmers and understanding food production.

By buying locally, you’re lowering your environmental footprint and supporting sustainable practices by local farmers. Ontario’s fruit and vegetable growers, for example, have been implementing sustainable growing practices across the province for more than 20 years – shrinking their environmental footprint by using less water, energy, fertilizer and crop-protection products, while maintaining healthy soils and ensuring their businesses stay profitable and productive.

They’re also using new technologies like smart watering and spraying systems, robotic weeding systems and cameras that count fruit tree buds to predict harvest timing.

Get the kids involved in making this simple, hearty recipe from Foodland Ontario early one morning, then enjoy the day together playing games or enjoying some of the great activities winter has to offer, while dinner is slowly cooking.

Slow-Cooker Bean and Vegetable Stew

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 to 12 hours
Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 potatoes, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cans (540 ml each) kidney beans (white and red), drained and rinsed
• 1 tsp (5 ml) dried thyme leaves
• 1/4 tsp (1 ml) each salt and pepper
• 3 cups (750 ml) unsalted vegetable broth (approx.)
• 2 cups (500 ml) bite-size spinach leaves or baby spinach
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) chopped fresh parsley
• Sour cream and grated cheddar cheese to taste

Directions:

1. In slow cooker, combine carrots, potatoes, onion, garlic, beans, thyme, salt and pepper. Add broth and push vegetables and beans under the liquid.
2. Cover and cook on low setting for 10 to 12 hours, or until vegetables are tender.
3. Stir in spinach, cover and cook on low until lightly wilted, about 10 minutes.
4. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle each serving with cheese, sour cream and parsley.

Attention Editors: This content is reserved for distribution in Ontario only.