A Pacific Northwest culinary and farming group is showcasing one winter vegetable each week during the season.

The free program runs through March 18.

Each week takes a “deep dive” into a vegetable, said Lane Selman, director of the Culinary Breeding Network and assistant professor of horticulture at Oregon State University.

The first week was devoted to garlic. The week of Dec. 7 is devoted to radicchio, a form of leaf chicory. Other weeks will be devoted to celeriac, or celery root; Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, winter squash and purple sprouting broccoli.

Virtual presentations and question-and-answer sessions will explore plant histories, origins and uses.

Each “sagra” — a celebration of local food or drink – features projects focused on breeding for organic systems and culinary quality, she said.

The program is designed for farmers and “culinarily sophisticated” customers, Selman said.

“We’re trying to get people more interested in the vegetables that they eat,” Selman said. “Let’s talk about farming, where they’re from in the world originally, how they moved around in the world, how they are important medicinally.”

At the height of the spring and summer, customers are excited by the choices at a farmers market. But in the winter, they might need an extra push to get excited about what’s available, Selman said.

“It’s like PR (public relations) for under-appreciated vegetables,” she said.

The nine vegetables were chosen because they grow well in the region and to build support year-round for a farmers market or Community-Supported Agriculture program.

Topics include the vegetables’ role in culture, art and folklore, such as winter squash in Renaissance paintings or how the use of garlic in folklore and superstition gave way to current scientific uses of the crop medically and herbally.

“This happens a lot with radicchio,” Selman said. “People say, ‘I don’t like radicchio,’ but then when they start hearing about the rich history and interesting things about it, those people say, ‘Well, I don’t like radicchio, but I’m trying to,’ and that’s what I like.”

The program is funded through a specialty crop grant from the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

The online program springs from the Friends of Family Farmers’ Fill Your Pantry in-person event. Farmers sold the winter vegetables, and the network offered tables of “cheerleaders” promoting each, including recipes and samples.

“We heard from all the farmers that participated that they sold out of all the vegetables that we were promoting,” Selman said. “It’s immediate results: Get excited, you’re in the same room as a bunch of celeriac for sale.”

COVID-19 restrictions meant the program had to go online, Selman said. In the future, she could see the program being both in-person and online, drawing a worldwide audience.

Farmers can use the information in their outreach to customers, Selman said. Excitement around a particular vegetable can be infectious, she said.

“People will get excited about these under-appreciated vegetables if we try hard enough,” Selman said. “It takes a whole community to do it, honestly.”

https://www.culinarybreedingnetwork.com/events/2020/12/7/2020-21-variety-showcase-winter-vegetable-sagra