winter vegetables

I've spent the morning at my allotment. It's cold and damp, a little drizzle but, at least it's not frozen. It's good to feed the birds and check for early signs of new growth and, yes! I could see my bulbs just beginning to appear above the deep layer of manure I put on the bed in the autumn. This is my 'no-dig' bed, an area of about 4 metres by 4 metres. When the bulbs have almost died down I plant out my squashes and pumpkins between the bulbs. So far, it has been a good arrangement. I have cut flowers for my home and the ground is always being used.
As the ground and the plants are not frozen, at the moment, it is a good opportunity to pick fresh vegetables - today, brussels sprouts and leeks, probably my winter favourites, well, along with parsnips ( my carrots have long finished so, I have to buy them. They don't count. I haven't yet worked out how to grow enough good carrots to have to store them). This year I have lots of leeks as I did successional planting - the first before the end of May and the second bed about 2 months later. I'm still only half way through harvesting the first bed and not a leek moth in sight. I'd never come across leek moth before last year and, while they didn't destroy the crop, they were slightly discouraging. This time I covered the crop with environmesh - good move.
Leeks are such a versatile vegetable,excellent in soups, casseroles or served with a cheese sauce, yummy! They are also nutritionally excellent - low in fat, sodium ( salt) and cholestrol but, high in essential vitamins and minerals.
The sprouts have been good this winter though, of course, are not so good frozen. I've had to buy them for a week or so. I have discovered that Maximus F1 and Bedford work particularly well on my ground, providing sprouts from early November (or even a bit earlier) until late February - if I've planted enough. This year I'm also experimenting with purple sprouts ( I can't say what variety as the young plants were given to me by my daughter). I'm not getting anything from them yet as, apparently, they crop much later into spring.
I could have dug up some parsnips as well. They have been good and very sweet but, they are very deep rooted which means me sinking deep into the mud to dig them out. I definitely have to be in the mood for that. ( I plant Tender and True - a good basic parsnip with excellent flavour and resistance to disease. They are also one of the cheaper varieties.)
I might get back to the plot again before the snow returns to harvest more of the same and some others. More later