Christmas Recipes Straight from the Garden

Christmas dinners can be a lot more satisfying if you’ve grown most of what goes on the plate. 

Depending on your region and preferences, many garden vegetables can take center stage in your festive creations.

Plenty of crops can be enjoyed at Christmas, such as potatoes, carrots, beetroot, and other root vegetables, as well as a variety of fresh herbs to add extra taste and color to your Christmas meal. 

In fact, many traditional recipes we commonly see on our holiday tables incorporate garden veggies. Crops from the Cole family, root vegetables, and fruits like cranberries are often featured in Christmas recipes or as condiments for turkey and ham.

Keep reading for some recipe ideas!

Carrots

Carrots are versatile and a part of many Christmas dishes, such as roasted or glazed carrots, and baked carrot cakes. Grow them in an open garden with well-drained soil, or in deep containers. Start planting your carrots as early as July. They can grow well in drier soil conditions without frequent watering, but give them a good soak if rainfall has been scarce. 

As your carrots grow, consider protecting them from insects such as carrot flies with mesh covers. Lift the roots from the soil with a fork as soon as they’re large enough to eat - for a better tasting harvest. 

Here’s a recipe we recommend for glazed carrots.

Kale 

Adding kale is a great way to integrate some healthy greens into your Christmas meal, and can be enjoyed year-round in smoothies and salads with other garden greens like spinach or lettuce. Start planting them in the late summer months into well-drained soil.

They can be grown in raised garden beds or containers, surviving year-round even during the coldest months. Water regularly and consider incorporating compost to boost the growth of your crop. 

Here’s a recipe for a delicious, crunchy kale salad.

Herbs 

Common herbs from the garden like rosemary, thyme, sage and oregano are highly recommended for a variety of Christmas dishes, including herb butter for tenderizing turkey, and tasty herb-infused stuffing mixed with bread cubes or chicken broth.

Plant your herbs in an area with lots of sun, and fill up with compost for optimal soil conditions. Remember to water regularly and keep them warm, so you will have plenty of fresh herbs to add to your festive flavors by Christmas. Pick them from time to time to encourage further growth.

Here’s a recipe for fresh herb stuffing.

Planting for Christmas 

With some dedicated planning, you will be able to grow your own Christmas crops for next year with ease. 

Seeded root crops and cool-season vegetables can be planted around April or May in most areas of the country, and you can also start planting beans at around the same time, too. They will not grow in the winter months but freeze very well. 

Potatoes are an essential part of festive meals and they can be planted around August and will grow through fall. Put them in a cool dark area before they freeze when winter approaches. Fruits like apples and cranberries also freeze well, while pumpkins can be kept for a long time and used later for delicious pies or added to other dishes. 

Tailor Christmas recipes to what you have available in your garden. Get creative with festive dishes made from homegrown ingredients, and enjoy sharing your garden harvest with family and friends during the holiday season!