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The earliest Americans embraced winter squash and other late-season vegetables for more than matters of taste.

For them, it was a matter of survival.

Early settlers needed food to eat over the long, harsh winters. And vegetables that were harvested in the late fall and could be stored for long periods and remain edible filled the bill — and the stomachs.

So, now that the first frost has settled upon the pumpkin and the memories of those glorious red, ripe tomatoes of September grow dimmer, let's turn our attention to some of what the winter harvest has to offer.

Twice-Cooked Garlic

Brussels Sprouts

Makes 6 servings

Boiling the brussels sprouts before sauteing makes them tender, and the sauteing caramelizes the surface beautifully while neutralizing some of the cabbage flavor. Even folks who didn't think they liked brussels sprouts have enjoyed this version.

Ingredients

20 brussels sprouts

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Rinse the brussels sprouts; cut the tip of the root end of the sprouts if brown, but leave a small portion of the root end to keep the sprouts from falling apart while cooking. Boil the sprouts for 3 minutes on stove top or in microwave; rinse with cold water and allow to cool enough to handle. Cut sprouts in half through the root. Heat butter in saute pan over medium heat until butter is sizzling and beginning to brown; drop sprouts in, flat-side down, and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until sprouts begin to brown. Turn sprouts, cook 2 more minutes. Remove from pan, salt and pepper to taste, and serve warm.

Lemon Ginger Oven-Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Makes 6 to 8 servings

You've had sweet potato recipes that call for butter, brown sugar or even marshmallows. Now, try this one, from George M. Sideras, Kettering resident and corporate executive chef for Nestle Food Services. It uses high heat to caramelize the natural sugars in sweet potatoes, and the ginger-lemon marinade adds a nice zing to complement the sweetness.

Ingredients

4 medium sweet potatoes, each peeled and cut into 8 wedges

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 lemons, juiced

1 inch of fresh ginger peeled and finely chopped or grated fine (a micro planer works best)

Fresh-ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and toss. Arrange potato slices, flat-side up, in single layer on heavyweight rimmed baking sheet or in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Place on top rack of oven, roast until tender and slightly browned, about 40 minutes. (If you have extra marinade, you may baste the potatoes at the halfway point of cooking.) Sprinkle with fresh-ground black pepper, and serve.

Butternut Squash Bisque

Makes 8 first-course servings

This recipe is adapted from Paul Prudhomme's New England Butternut Bisque in his 1991 book, Chef Paul Prudhomme's Seasoned America. Grating and dicing the squash takes some effort, but the results are well worth it. Serve this soup with a fine German off-dry Riesling, such as the 2005 Leitz Dragonstone — the match is ethereal.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

11/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon white pepper

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground mace

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 large or 2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and all membrane removed

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped celery

5 cups chicken stock

3 cups half-and-half

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Combine the dried spices (first 9 ingredients, through nutmeg) in a small bowl (should make about 5 tablespoons). Grate enough of the squash on the large holes of a hand grater to yield 3 cups. Dice the remaining squash, about 4 cups. Set aside.

Melt butter in large heavy pot over high heat. When the butter sizzles, add the onions, celery and grated squash, and cook, occasionally scraping the bottom of the pot, for 13 to 15 minutes (the squash will brown somewhat). Stir in 4 tablespoons (80 percent) of the mixed dried spices and cook 3 to 4 more minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot once or twice more. Add the chicken stock, the diced squash and the remaining dried spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, scraping the bottom of the pot from time to time, until the squash has disintegrated somewhat, about 40 minutes. Turn up the heat to high and stir in the half-and-half. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the fresh parsley. Let the soup cool a few minutes, then serve.