In my kitchen at the end of Summer
March 8, 2013
March 8, 2013
In my kitchen at the moment there is a constant line up of jars and lids being readied, bowls of ingredients on the bench, my notepad and pens, scales and measuring equipment. All waiting to be put into action to hang onto that last taste of Summer.
I preserve as much as I think my family will consume in the coming 6-8 months. Preserving is not just about making jams and chutney, there are many ways to preserve produce.
Below is an outline of some of the things I tend to do at the end of Summer each year for various produce.
I tend to go into a frenzied mode of production at this time each year for these reasons:
Below is my summary of the ways that I use, and store the vegetables that I grow in my garden, or seek from local farmers at this time of year.
Local lemons are just disappearing from our local fruit store and are being replaced with imported ones. I picked up a couple of kilos of the last of the local lemons and used them in the following way:
I adore home grown tomatoes and so there is not usually a huge amount left after my daily quota is devoured. This season I have been having a love affair with salsa and have been making it on a continual basis as a side dish in the evening. I also like to use my tomatoes to make:
Zucchini:
I love to bake with zucchinis. I grate them into as many dishes as possible that can be frozen and stockpiled for back up meals, snacks for school and lunches or lazy dinners.
These include:
It doesn’t seem to matter how many my plants produce, I can usually find a use for them.
Eggplants and Capsicums:
These ingredients are lovely to bring out of the cupboard when guests drop in unexpectedly. They make a great addition to an antipasto platter or to add to pasta or slow cooked meals when there is are no fresh ingredients available.
I would love to hear of any other ways to bottle the goodness of Summer produce. If you have any not listed here please tell me about them.
Some fantastic ideas there, we try and use as much as we can from our garden and then give away the rest
Great list of hints! Congrats on the new book, I’ve dabbled in preserving but want to learn more about it – and get the right equipment!