In winter, I spend time with the latest batch of cool cookbooks for new ways to cook my favorite vegetables. Even if they aren't in season right now, I will be ready with recipes when they are! Recenty, I was driving and listening to an episode of The Splendid Table podcast with guest, Madhur Jaffrey who spoke about her latest book, Vegetarian Indian. She described a recipe with mushrooms roasted with tumeric and a coconut sauce. I was captivated. Today, I poked around what I had in my fridge and pantry to riff off that idea for my lunch.

I've been a fan of the certified organic, grassfed ghees made by Pure Indian Foods since I wrote about them in a story comparing cooking fats. While at the West Windsor Farmers Market in December, I visited with Pure Indian Foods owners, Sandeep and Nalini Agarwal. They shared their newest product with me- Tumeric Ghee. It smells like heaven and tastes even better.

Once I heard Madhur, I had a flash of inspiration. I put two pounds of large button mushrooms with the stems removed on a sheet tray. I drizzled two tablespoons of melted tumeric ghee over them and sprinkled them with kosher salt and a bit of my homemade tandoori spice blend. Then they went into a 375 degree oven for twenty minutes. I started cooking them with the opening side up and then turned them over midway. They are so delicious. I also made some brown rice cooked with their Cultured Ghee and cumin seeds. While all that was cooking, I put together a pot of red lentils with pumpkin puree and coconut.

Be on the lookout for ghee from Pure Indian Foods and mushrooms from Shibumi Farm to recreate this dish. Blue Moon Acres in Pennington grows amazing rice. Look for it at their farm store and the StocktonMarket.

Order products from Pure Indian Foods online at their website, at specialty retailers and health food store nationwide, select Whole Foods Market locationsor catch up with them in person at The West Windsor Community Farmers Market.

This highly anticipated, monthly indoor market happens on the second Saturday of the month. Unfortunately, the Argawals have a schedule conflict for this month's market on Feb. 13, but they will be there on Mar. 12and Apr. 9. 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Windsor Athletic Club, 99 Clarksville Road, West Windsor.

I picked up a hard copy of Vegetarian India: A Journey Through the Best of Indian Home Cooking. It is really wonderful. Gorgeous photos are making my mouth water and wish summer gets here sooner so I can try the recipes with okra, tomatoes, chiles and eggplant. But there are plenty of intriguing recipes that we can make right now with potatoes, kale, carrots, dried beans, spinach, apples, eggs and rice that are all grown locally and available now. Savory pancakes and crepes, many of which are gluten-free, caught my interest.

As an avid lover of Indian cuisine, my pantry is already well stocked with many of the spices, dals and flours that Jaffrey calls for in the book. My local Wegmans store has a good selection of basic ingredients but it is well worth the trip to one of the excellent Indian markets across the state. I love to spend the afternoon on a cold day in a warm store filled with vibrant colors and the heady fragrance of spices.

Get Inspired With Me. Enjoy a free Kindle preview of Vegetarian Indian by Madhur Jaffrey.