Winter has set in. The solstice was this week, so I shouldn’t be surprised. We had our first snowfall on Monday night and another last night (Wednesday); a few inches dusted my world. I always say, if it’s going to be cold, it might as well be pretty, and it is.

On Saturday, we picked up our second and final share of the Shared Harvest CSA. The pantry and extra refrigerator are now packed with bountiful vegetables, mostly ones that will store for a while. Our share included potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, beets, carrots, celery root, butternut squash, cabbage, parsnips, leeks, winter radishes, lettuce and kale. The share also included some popcorn (on the cob) and two pounds of locally grown beans: kidney beans and one other. I picked some crazy-looking brown and black marbled beans called Peregion. We had ordered an additional 10 pounds of carrots, 5 pounds of parsnips, and 10 pounds of beets. I suspect there is a least one pot of borscht in our future.

Cold weather calls for hearty meals. We had some people coming over for dinner, and I was in the mood for roasted vegetables, so I made a winter vegetable and chicken paella. The original recipe called for butternut squash and Swiss chard. I added extra squash plus a couple of turnips and parsnips. I also substituted the kale from the CSA share for the chard.

I am fortunate to have an actual paella pan that I brought back from a visit to Spain when my mother was living there (a couple decades ago). You can use a very large ovenproof skillet or sauté pan, but the paella pan makes for a gorgeous presentation. (Unfortunately, I didn’t take a picture of the paella in the pan, just some of the leftovers.)

Paella is a very flexible dish. I once borrowed an entire cookbook of paella recipes from the library and spent several nights browsing through. Each part of Spain has their own version which features local ingredients. The common element is the short-grain rice.

Here’s the version I made this weekend from my CSA share vegetables:

Winter Vegetable-Chicken Paella
Serves 6 – 8
Adapted from this recipe from Food and Wine magazine, December 2002

1 large leek, white and tender green parts only, halved lengthwise
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small butternut squash, about 2 pounds, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
2 turnips, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 lbs chicken thighs, with skin
1 large onion, chopped
¼ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 cups Arborio rice
3½ cups hot chicken stock
1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 bunch of kale, stems discarded, leaves coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large bowl, toss the diced squash, turnip, and parsnips with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Spread onto one or two baking sheets in one layer. Brush the leek with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and arrange on a portion of one of the baking sheets, cut side down. Cut the leek into 1-inch lengths. Roast the vegetables for 20 minutes, or until golden and just tender.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 14- to 16-inch paella pan or skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper; cook over moderate heat until golden, 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. If there is a lot of fat in the pan, carefully pour off all but 2 tablespoons. Add the onion to the pan; cook over low heat until softened. Add the saffron and smoked paprika; cook over moderately high heat, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the rice and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the stock, tomatoes, kale, and roasted leek, squash, turnips and parsnips.

Nestle the chicken into the rice, skin side up. Simmer the paella over low heat for 5 minutes. Transfer to a 350° oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the stock is absorbed, the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the oven and cover with a towel; let stand for 10 minutes. Serve at once.