Test Kitchen Top 3: Winter Brights

The champagne is gone. The holiday lights have been taken down (or at least it's on the to-do list). Winter has gone from sparkly and cheery to gray and just plain cold. As we do every January, we've been looking for ways to fight the winter doldrums -- cooking vibrant soups, committing to resolutions, and constructing menus around TV premieres. Luckily, Tuesday's test kitchen was full of bright produce: pomegranates and colorful squash and the greenest herbs that hinted at memories of Christmas trees. These little things remind us that there are, in fact, small joys that only winter can bring.

While you count down the days until spring, take a peek at some of the images that brightened our moods this week. Looking for more? Follow us on Instagram!

1. Beautiful Bouquets. A bouquet garni got ready to add flavor to a stew, and served double duty as a miniature flower arrangement. It also prompted us to Google the correct spelling of "garni."

2. Who says winter produce isn't colorful? Purple potatoes, bright squash, quince, beets: they certainly make a beautiful still life.

3. Kumquats! These little gems look bright and taste bright, too. Plus, we can never resist photographing small things in Amanda's beautiful bowls.