Every September, a small panic rises. The herb garden overflows; so do the border plantings of leafy greens. Tomatoes dominate my countertop in all manner of ripeness. One neighbor gifted me with a 5 1/2-pound zucchini and another dropped off a small crate of hot chilies. I feel desperate to save every bit. All too soon, the fresh pickings diminish. Time to stock the larder. These days, I choose easy methods to preserve those fresh flavors, and I freeze as much of my harvest as possible.
Garden-ripe, juicy tomatoes motivate me to capture their goodness for the future. The simplest method is to freeze whole tomatoes on baking sheets until solid and then pack them in freezer bags. Thawed, they’re no longer suitable for slicing, but will add sweet goodness to sauces, stews and salsas. Grilling the whole tomatoes first enhances their flavor, especially if you add some wood chips to the grill. A puree of these grill-smoked tomatoes makes chili and pasta sauces fantastic.
Oven-roasting small ripe tomatoes with oil, garlic and herbs makes a condiment suited for warm salads and pastas later in the season. A touch of sugar and vinegar turns it into a sweet-sour combination to accompany roasted meats and poultry.
Fresh basil, preserved in a puree with oil, garlic and salt, likewise perks up my offseason cooking. I call this our pesto “starter” and keep little tubs of it in the freezer for the long winter ahead. Once it is thawed, you can whip up a quick pesto by stirring in ground pine nuts and cheese. Or, add vinegar and more oil for an awesome fresh herb vinaigrette.
I also smash fresh herbs into butter and squirrel it away in little tubs. Just imagine what that will do to the holiday mashed potatoes. I stuff pretty jars with sprigs of fresh herbs and then fill them with vinegar or oil for future vinaigrettes. I fill ice cube trays with chopped fresh herbs and top them off with unsalted broth. Simply drop a frozen cube into soup or gravy.
Using high-quality condiments like these or garden goodies from the freezer makes cooking inspirational and interesting.
Oh, and in case you are wondering about that ginormous zucchini — it’s been grilled and tucked into the freezer. Yes, it took a while, but this winter, I’ll be popping that grilled treat into my soups and stews and thinking of summer gardens and kind neighbors.
Smoky tomato puree
Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 10 minutes
Makes: about 4 cups
Use this coarse puree in tomato sauces, chili and stews to add a smoky fresh tomato flavor.
1 cup mesquite or hickory wood chips
4 lbs. perfectly ripe small round tomatoes
1/2 tsp. salt
Prepare a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium hot. Soak wood chips in water for 15 minutes or more. Add drained chips to hot coals if cooking on charcoal. For gas grills, place drained wood chips on a piece of foil set directly over the heat source.
Arrange tomatoes on grill directly over the heat. Cover and grill, turning once or twice, until skin is slightly charred and blistered on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet.
When cool enough to handle, coarsely puree tomatoes (skin and all) with salt in blender or food processor. Pack into small freezer containers. Label and freeze up to several months.
Nutrition information per 1/2 cup: 37 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 8 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 156 mg sodium, 2 g fiber
Agrodolce roasted tomatoes
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 2 hours
Makes: about 8 cups
For a fantastic bread salad, mix 2 to 4 cups of these sweet and sour tomatoes along with their juices, 6 cups large cubes of toasted hearty bread and a couple of handfuls of baby arugula or spinach.
4 dozen perfectly ripe small round or plum tomatoes
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Coarse (kosher) salt
Sugar
8 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
3/4 cup mixed chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut tomatoes in half through the stem end. Place on two foil-lined rimmed baking sheets. Add half of the oil and vinegar to each pan; turn tomatoes to coat them well. Arrange all the tomatoes cut sides up in a single layer. Sprinkle cut sides with salt and sugar to taste. Sprinkle with garlic and herbs.
Bake, rotating the pans occasionally, until tomatoes look concentrated and golden browned, about 2 hours. Cool. Transfer to plastic containers with tight-fitting lids, making sure to capture the pan juices. Refrigerate up to a week or freeze for several months.
Nutrition information per 1/2 cup: 156 calories, 14 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 8 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 11 mg sodium, 2 g fiber
Pesto starter for the freezer
Prep: 15 minutes
Makes: 1 generous cup
This also is delicious made with fresh chives (or a combination of chives and parsley). Use to enrich soups and salad dressings. To make pesto, just add pine nuts and grated Parmesan.
4 oz. fresh basil leaves, about 6 cups loosely packed
4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for freezing
Pat basil dry. Turn on food processor or blender. Drop garlic into running machine to finely chop it. Turn off machine; add basil leaves and salt. Pulse until finely chopped. Add 3/4 cup oil; process until nearly smooth.
Scrape into small freezer containers. Slowly pour additional oil over the top to completely cover the puree. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap and then the lid of the container. Freeze upright until solid. Freeze for several months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
Nutrition information per tablespoon: 92 calories, 10 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 g carbohydrates, 0 g protein, 73 mg sodium, 0 g fiber
Simple pesto
Prep: 5 minutes
Makes: 1 cup
Use this on pasta or dollop on cream soups or spread on sandwiches.
1/2 cup thawed pesto starter, see recipe
2 to 4 Tbsp. pine nuts or walnuts
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Puree all in blender until smooth.
Nutrition information per tablespoon: 58 calories, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 1 mg cholesterol, 0 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 56 mg sodium, 0 g fiber
Basil vinaigrette
Prep: 5 minutes
Makes: 1/3 cup
This dressing is terrific on a wedge salad of iceberg lettuce sprinkled with diced tomatoes and bacon crumbles. Or, stir it into cooked orzo with diced cucumber and cherry tomatoes for a simple pasta salad.
2 Tbsp. thawed pesto starter, see recipe
2 Tbsp. each: olive oil, white balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
Salt, freshly ground pepper to taste
Mix everything in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well before using.
Nutrition information per tablespoon: 84 calories, 9 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g carbohydrates, 0 g protein, 28 mg sodium, 0 g fiber
Grilled zucchini for the freezer
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Makes: A lot
5 lbs. zucchini, sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds
Olive oil
Coarse salt
Prepare a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium hot. Soak wood chips in water for 15 minutes or more. Add drained chips to hot coals if cooking on charcoal. For gas grills, place drained wood chips on a piece of foil set directly over the heat source.
Generously brush zucchini on all sides with oil. Sprinkle with salt. Cook directly over the heat source, turning once, until both sides of the slices are nicely grill marked, about 12 minutes total. Cool on a wire rack.
Dice the slices. Arrange on baking sheet; freeze solid. Pack the frozen pieces into freezer bags.
Confetti chili sprinkle
Prep: 10 minutes
Makes: 1 cup
I sprinkle this zesty condiment over grilled fish fillets, fried chicken, Asian noodles and crunchy slaws.
1/2 cup unsweetened rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups roughly chopped, stemmed, small fresh chilies (use an assortment of colors and heat levels)
Microwave vinegar, sugar and salt in small dish until warm enough to dissolve sugar, about 1 minute. Cool.
Put chilies into food processor or blender. Process until finely chopped. Scrape into a jar. Cover with cooled vinegar mixture. Refrigerate for a couple of weeks or freeze for several months.
Nutrition information per tablespoon: 14 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g carbohydrates, 0 g protein, 74 mg sodium, 0 g fiber
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