A Cozy Paso Robles Winter

By Paso Robles Press · Sun Dec 14 2025

A Cozy Paso Robles Winter

By BeeWench Farm

Paso Robles is stunning year-round, but in the winter it’s magical! The hills are a soft green, there’s cheer everywhere, and the town is beautifully decorated. An easy way to enjoy the beauty of the place we call home and find connection is to head to the local farmers market or local farm. The Saturday Farmers and Craft Market downtown is packed with seasonal produce, wonderful gifts, and plenty of opportunity to make meaningful connections. The farmers markets vendors love to connect with you and talk about their work. Not only do you get to learn more about the local farms, but you also get the freshest, locally grown produce for your comforting meals.

Another way to enjoy this season is to visit a local farm. FarmstedEd is a wonderful resource if you are looking for farms to visit. Many farms offer workshops and tours if you are looking to gift your loved ones an experience they will never forget. We love visiting our friends at Jack Creek Farms to make fun memories. They have beautiful Christmas trees that you can cut yourself and many wonderful local goods that make great gifts inside and around the store. If there aren’t any big freezes, they will have plenty of juicy persimmons to enjoy this month.

These are two wonderful recipes for the season. The roasted veggies are a delicious vegetarian dish on its own, but also makes a beautiful side dish for any dinner. Make sure to get the best veggies and olive oil from the market for the tastiest results. If you love making simple Christmas cookies, these are my favorite. Lemons are seasonal in the winter and these cookies make delicious and beautiful gifts. My mom makes these cookies every Christmas and they are highly requested by everyone who tried them. I hope that if you make them, you enjoy them too.

Winter Roasted Veggies

Ingredients:

1 Acorn Squash (or Butternut) 

1-2 Delicata Squash

16 ounces of Brussel Sprouts

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder to taste

1 yellow onion, diced

Pomegranate seeds from about half a pomegranate

Parmesan cheese

3 twigs of Rosemary

8 tablespoons of butter (sub olive oil if dairy free)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F
  2. If using a Butternut squash, it’s easiest to peel and then cut it into 1/2” cubes before roasting. If you don’t like the skin on the Acorn or delicata squash, it is easier to cut them in half, remove seeds, and roast them first.  
  3. Add squash and Brussels sprouts to a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with about a ½ Tbsp each of salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Roast until squash is tender and sprouts are crispy. About 30 minutes.
  4. While the squash and Brussels sprouts are roasting, lightly sauté onion in about 2 Tbsp olive oil until browned.
  5. If you didn’t peel and chop the squash before roasting, let it cool and then scoop out the flesh with a spoon and cut into cubes. Add squash, Brussel sprouts, and onions to a serving dish.
  6. In the same pan you used to sauté onions, melt the butter. Add the rosemary twigs once it is melted and once it is browned drizzle over the squash and Brussel sprouts and place the rosemary twigs atop for garnish.
  7. Top with about 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese and pomegranate seeds. Enjoy!

Note: You can make this the night before or morning of but wait to add the cheese and pomegranate seeds until you serve it. 

Lemon Meltaways

Ingredients:

Cookies:

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup cornstarch

1/3 cup powdered sugar

¾ cup softened butter

1 tsp grated lemon peel

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Frosting:

¾ cup powdered sugar

¼ cup softened butter

1 tsp grated lemon peel

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Instructions:

  1. In a large mixing bowl combine all cookie ingredients. Beat at low speed. Scraping bowl often until well mixed, about 2-3 minutes.
  2. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into 8x1 inch roll. Wrap in plastic food wrap. Refrigerate until firm (1-2 hours)
  3. Heat oven to 350 F. With a sharp knife, cut each half into ¼ inch cookies, place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake for 8-12 minutes until set. Cookies will not brown. Cool completely.
  4. In a small mixing bowl combine all ingredients. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often until fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Frost cooled cookies and use sprinkles or lemon zest to decorate.
  5. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

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