As promised, I’ll share my method (not recipe, because a lot of the time, I’m winging it and not following a recipe) for one of my freezer fillers.  At least once a week for the past several weeks, I’ve been buying a bucket of “seconds” tomatoes–for a dollar a bucket.  Since we use a lot of canned fire roasted tomatoes in various recipes all year, I thought I’d just make my own and freeze them to use this winter.

In their raw form, tomatoes are a great source of vitamin C, but since it is heat sensitive, cooked tomatoes don’t contain much vitamin C to speak of.  The cooked form, especially when there is a little oil present (olive oil is a favorite choice around here), the antioxidant Lycopene is readily available–it is protective of men’s prostate health, which is something we can all appreciate:  the men for obvious reasons, and the women who love them…Here is what I do:

1 bucket of seconds tomatoes, cored and cut in half along the stem side (not equator)

splash of olive oil (maybe 1/4 or 1/2 cup)

Stir/toss the tomato halves gently with a spatula or spoon so that they are all evenly coated with the olive oil.  Fire up the grill (I use gas, and set the burners to medium high) and let it heat up.  Using tongs, I place each tomato half, cut side down on the grill, and close the lid.  After a few minutes, or when I start to see smoke, I turn the halves over so that the skin is on the grill.  You may have to arrange and rearrange the tomatoes based on how fast they are cooking due to size or hot spots on the grill.  Let them grill for a few more minutes.  Start turning them over to see how charred the skins are.  I let a few of them get quite charred, while others not as much.  They are done when quite mushy and you are slightly afraid they might slip through the grill bars.  Some can be more mushy than others.  Put them in the bowl you tossed them around in originally and let cool a bit.  Then you puree them in the food processor of your choice and store in a quart sized freezer safe container.  I usually add a little smoked salt when I puree them, but you don’t have to salt at all–taste and decide for yourself!

Enjoy!

One of my favorite authors, Barbara Kingsolver, has written a book that I actually CAN’T read before bedtime because it kicks my brain into high gear.  It keeps Kurt awake too, because I’m “thinking too loud”.  Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is her latest book and chronicles the year that she and her family ate only local foods  (which would be hard for me because I just love olives too much).  This book, complete with recipes, thought promoting information, and how-to’s, along with a local business called Locavorious (I wish I’d thought of the idea myself!!), which is a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) that disperses its shares in the winter months with produce they have processed and frozen when things are at their peak of harvest NOW (genius!), have provided me with endless inspiration this summer.  A co-worker suggested I read “Saving the Harvest” for more ideas.

I was too late in signing up for a share of the frozen CSA (a good sign–I’m not the only one that thinks this is a great idea).  After I got over my initial dismay, I decided to be my OWN frozen CSA.  Last week we bought a freezer that is almost as tall as I am, and I’ve been busy filling it.  I started by visiting the web page for Locavorious (see link) to get a list going of things that freeze well.  Then I thought of more things.

So far, I have several pints of pesto (I’ve been averaging a pint per week for the past month or so), a few gallon sized bags each of yellow and green beans, carrots, corn, strawberries.  Currently caramelizing away in the crockpot are the onions I bought today at market (look for the recipe in a future post).  I plan to puree them and freeze them in amounts appropriate for various uses such as soups, pizza toppings, casseroles, sauces, etc.  I’ve also been pureeing fresh tomatoes (if you buy “seconds” at the farmers market, they are VERY cheap, about $1 per bucket, which makes about a quart of puree).  I’m planning to follow a canning recipe from the book, but I’ve also just started a trend of fire roasting tomatoes (look for the recipe in a future post) on the grill and pureeing them–most likely they will end up in pizza sauce, chili, lasagna, soup, crockpot cassoulet…uh-oh there goes the brain again…

So far, the bottom drawer of my new toy has grass fed beef (on sale) and is the future home of chicken carcasses I’ll use to make chicken stock,  which I’ll also freeze in amounts I can use for various recipes…

Below is a recipe for one of my summertime favorites, beet and rice salad.  It is a colorful side dish (we just had it with cajun whitefish and sauteed summer veggies), or if you mix in chickpeas or cooked chicken and serve over a bed of greens, this can be a balanced meal.  I usually make a batch of brown basmati rice (2 cups cooked) and it might last us a week.

I also tweaked the recipe from the original, which had you cook the beets ahead in boiling water.  I read recently that the nutrients remain intact and are more bioavailable from raw beets (which is why I’ve been adding them to the smoothie recipe too!).  Also, we are in the thick of summer and Kurt gets a little testy when I crank up the stove and oven in hot weather–(he’s got a point)…AND, I always like to find ways to simplify recipes and eliminate steps…so here it is–these amounts almost filled a quart sized container:

• 2-3 golf ball sized beets, peeled and minced in the food processor (they are available now at the farmer’s market–PS:  save the greens, wash them and use in tossed salads!)
• 2 medium sized carrots, peeled and processed like the beets (also available at the Farmer’s Market now)
• 1 clove garlic (add to beets and carrots in food processor)
• 2 cups cooked rice, rinsed in cold water (I like brown basmati for this recipe)
• 1/4 cup each olive oil and champagne vinegar (use less vinegar if you are not a fan of it)
• 1 Tbs honey dijon mustard
• 1 Tbs dried tarragon (or fresh if you have it!) and or any other herbs you like and have on hand

I usually make the vinaigrette in a mixing bowl large enough to hold the rest of the ingredients and tweak it for taste before I add the veggies and rice.  Then I add the minced beets, carrots and garlic.  Then I add the rice.  Everything gets VERY hot pink, which I love, but may be scary for some…The taste of beets is not strong in this recipe and has passed taste tests with people who don’t like beets.  Mostly you taste the basmati rice and vinaigrette, with the carrots and beets providing a fresh and pleasant CRUNCH.  Sunflower seeds would be great sprinkled over at the last minute (so they don’t turn pink).  Enjoy!

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Recently, a dear friend shared a link with me that I find myself checking out when I am making my grocery list and want to choose a fish that is both good for me AND the planet.  I’d encourage you to visit www.blueoceans.org/seafood .  You can search for fish you usually consume to see if it is safe to eat and not overfished, or just peruse the list and get ideas.

I rediscovered Tilapia thanks to this website.  While it is farm raised, the farming practice is not damaging to the environment.  It is worth mentioning that tilapia has a pretty reasonable price tag, a lovely delicate flavor and flaky texture.  It makes a great backdrop for trying out new and exciting spices, and is VERY easy to prepare (I usually lay out fillets on a foil lined sheet pan, sprinkle with spices and olive oil, put it in the oven set to 400* and it flakes easily with a fork in less than 10 minutes.  In fact, check in after 5 minutes), and comes without the skin or bones.

Also thanks to this website, I’ll never EVER buy farm raised salmon again.  This is also known as Atlantic salmon.  Wild caught Alaska salmon?  Now that is something worth investigating…

Enjoy!

I’ve been eagerly checking out my garden for early signs of life:  shoots from the bulbs I planted in the fall, baby perennials, leaf buds on trees and shrubs.  Well, here is one more:  The Farmer’s market is waking up!!

This winter has felt long and grey and cold, and after months of QUICK trips through the market on blustery Saturday mornings–quick because there have been only about three vendors there since the holiday hub-bub died down–yesterday there were easily 10 vendors!!  The egg guy, who is usually sold out and gone by 8am was still there at 9:30!  Instead of an occasional stall selling salad greens, there were 3 or 4!  I saw plants for the garden–flowers and herbs!  Needless to say, for this weekly customer at the Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market, it was a welcome sight after a long winter.

Soon, I’ll start to see other signs of spring–Asparagus and peas to name a few!  I’m also looking forward to seeing some of my favorite farmers.

In this category, I hope to encourage readers to consider a few things in addition to nutrition and yummy flavors–where has your food come from?  Who grew it?  How much time has elapsed from harvest to your plate?  How many gallons of gasoline went into its journey from farm to your fridge?  Are there any harmful pesticides?  Weird antibiotics or growth hormones?  Aside from its cost to you personally, what is the cost it has on the environment?  These are all important questions to ask yourself because they are all things that affect your quality of life.

If one of your goals is to have a healthier lifestyle, I can’t think of a better way to start than by encouraging you to become a regular customer at your local farmer’s market.  Dare yourself to try a new veggie every week.  If you don’t know how to prepare it–ask the person who grew it.  This is a great way to get to know the folks who feed you, get a variety of fruits and veggies in your diet, eat produce at the height of ripeness (and nutritional value), support the local economy (badly needed right now in SE Michigan…), reduce your carbon footprint, and your inner Foodie will love it too.