Autumn has finally arrived in Delaware; the leaves are changing colors, and the squirrels are burying nuts in the soil in front of Chestnut Hollow. The cooler weather is a welcomed change, but I know that I will soon miss the sunny fresh taste of summer vegetables.
Last week, in order to preserve a tiny bit of summer, Ish and I went to the Farmer’s Market to buy an abundance of fresh vegetables and herbs. I spent several days preparing the vegetables to be frozen. My Tuesday was spent making a double batch of roasted vegetables; admittedly, we ate half the batch in different meals through out the week, but the other half is sealed in a freezer bag ready to be pulled out for a midwinter treat. Wednesday morning I spent making several batches of pesto—some regular and some with basil and mint. I froze the pesto using my muffin tins and some saran wrap; I’m sure glad my mom taught me this trick. Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning, I dedicated myself to chopping a rainbow of bell peppers. I now have about a quart each of red, green, yellow, and orange peppers in the freezer. This is not only more cost effective than buying peppers in the middle of winter (in season vegetables are much less expensive), but summer peppers, even after being frozen and defrosted, taste much better than those found in the grocery store midwinter.
This week I am looking forward to preparing a few more vegetables for freezing as well as making a batch or two of homemade applesauce. What is brewing in your kitchen this week?
