Does this sound familiar? “Finish your vegetables, then you can have dessert.”

Well, maybe it sounds familiar to you, my brother and I never needed coaxing to finish anything!

If the vegetables of your childhood were overcooked or came out of a can, read on.

The Center for Culinary Culture recently presented, via zoom, Robert Schueller, director of public relations for Melissa’s Produce, who told us what’s available right now and what’s trendy. Last time we talked about fruits. Here are some highlights of his presentation on vegetables.

“Winter is the time for root vegetables,” he said. “These are the hearty vegetables for cooking stews, casseroles and soups.

“Very trendy are Melissa’s signature Dutch Yellow Potatoes, which taste like they already have butter on them,” Schueller said. “Baby potatoes have been the most trendy because of their flavor profile and ease of use, You don’t have to peel them. The skin is completely edible. They’re easy to cook and don’t take as long as, say, russets.”

With St. Patrick’s Day coming up, try them with the corned beef and cabbage bites featured here.

The next most trendy potatoes are Melissa’s potato medley, Schueller told us. “They come in gold, red, purple and white, all in one package. It’s very convenient.

“You have an instant side dish whether you boil them, steam them or sauté them,” he said. “You can even microwave them.”

Another trendy root vegetable right now is ginger.

“A little goes a long way,” Schueller warned. “Break off what you need and put the rest in the freezer.”

Schueller demonstrated the easiest method of peeling this root: use the back of a spoon.

Turmeric is having a moment right now.

“To use this tiny root, like ginger, break off a piece and freeze the rest,” Schueller advised. “You can also peel it with a spoon.”

Melissa’s packages it together with ginger in its Immunity Booster Pack.

One of my favorite vegetables is the parsnip, also very trendy right now.

“It’s a little sweeter than a carrot and has a jicama-celery root texture,” Schueller said. “You do have to cook them. Like the Dutch Yellow, they taste like they have butter on them.”

Schueller suggested French-frying them. My favorite preparation is roasting them with other vegetables – carrots, green beans, red onion – on a sheet pan.

Most people are not familiar with the celery root. “It’s ugly, but delicious and has a celery-like flavor,” Schueller said. “Use a peeler to get the skin off. Cook the root or chop and slice it to add a savory flavor to salads.”

As winter comes to an end, we can look forward to what Schueller calls the “gifts of spring:” English peas fresh in the pod and fresh fava beans (broad beans), “one of the most loved chef beans,” he said.

These take a little more time to prepare. After removal from the pod, the individual beans have to be peeled again, but fortunately Melissa’s sells peeled, steamed fava beans as well as ready-to-go beets, lentils, garbanzo beans, even chestnuts.

Locally find these products at selected Bristol Farms, Gelson’s, Sprouts, Northgate, Mother’s Market, Vons, Albertsons, Ralphs, Pavilions and Smart & Final or order at melissa’s.com.

“Stay home and eat more produce,” Schueller said. “That’s my motto.”

Fullerton’s Judy Bart Kancigor is the author of “Cooking Jewish” and “The Perfect Passover Cookbook.” Her website is cookingjewish.com.

CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE BITES

From Melissa’s Produce

Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 pound Dutch Yellow Potatoes, cut in half
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cabbage cut into 2–inch-square pieces
Thousand Island dressing
8 slices Swiss cheese, cut into small triangles
8 slices cooked corned beef, cut into small triangles
1 (16–ounce) jar sauerkraut

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Combine Dutch Yellow Potatoes, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl, and toss to coat. Spread the potato halves in a single layer on baking sheet. Roast in oven until fork tender, about 8 to 11 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

3. When the potatoes are cool, toss cabbage pieces with enough Thousand Island dressing to coat lightly. To assemble cabbage bites, top each piece of cabbage with a triangle of cheese and then 3 beef triangles. Top beef with a bit of sauerkraut, finish with a roasted potato half, and secure with toothpick.