What does one do when fall is right around the corner? The days are getting shorter and the nights are much colder. Well, if you’re a veggie freak like I am and the signs of imminent freezing weather are accumulating, you take action. In other words, you start a campaign to use all of your vegetation you’ve grown during the summer to wrap up your harvest.
Because I don’t have room to store multiple canning jars and have a glass top stove that doesn’t allow for canning anyway, I need to find ways to include my produce in dishes I can eat, share, or freeze. I have a ball trying out new recipes that include the ingredients I have grown: Swiss chard, spinach, onions, parsley, basil, tomatoes, and peppers. I even include many donated yellow squash and the infamous zucchini.
Each morning, I research a new recipe for my veggies which results with some sort of delicious soup, main dish, or quiche for my efforts. As a single woman minus roommates, it is necessary that I plan to put at least half of the product in the freezer for later. At one point, I realized that with a narrowing amount of space in my freezer and fridge, I needed to share some of my harvest. After all, I had five different soups plus an equal number of meals, which I would not be able to consume before they started spoiling.
So, beware neighbors, friends, and family! Here I come, ready or not, with plenty of handouts. You will have to deal with my vegetarian-inclined gifts. Most recipients have been grateful, especially my son, whose turn it was to fix dinner.
Now, I can begin to relax, knowing that when I have sufficiently nibbled my way through various lunches and dinners in the fridge, I can start over after a search in the freezer. My inner farmer DNA has been adequately rewarded for my gardening efforts this summer.