No holiday feast in Wisconsin is complete without a relish tray. I was brought up with a sprawling relish tray served as an appetizer at every party and honestly, I loved it. But as I’ve grown older, I can’t help but wonder why we serve broccoli, red bell peppers and cherry tomatoes on our relish trays twelve months of the year. It’s time for something more seasonal.

A savory, creamy addition to our Winter Crudités Platter.

A delicious addition to our Winter Crudités Platter.

A rich, garlicky addition to our Winter Crudités Platter.

A tangy, earthy addition to our Winter Crudités Platter.

Always trust a farmer to bring a big, delicious bowl of greens to the winter table. This one, adapted from Samin Nosrat’s Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, brings together creamy squash with crunchy butternut and hazelnuts on a bed of kale.

Red cabbage is one of winter’s most often overlooked and truly beautiful foods. Braised here with some of the bacon from Dan Fox’s own farm, Willow Creek Farms, and a healthy amount of vinegar, it takes on a complex flavor that will have you seriously excited about cabbage.

The one vegetable that is never forgotten at festive winter tables is the star of storage season: the potato. This recipe brings a bit of extra energy to otherwise ordinary mashed potatoes. Sautéed leeks are folded into creamy mashed potatoes before heading into the oven to puff. Think twice baked potatoes without that pesky skin getting in the way.