Kitchen Garden Journal

This is the time of year when a turn in the weather will trigger fits of hording. The fruits of summer are living out their final days, and the mind begins to fearfully anticipate a season when the supermarket will again become a source of fresh produce. 

Over the years we have honed in on some easy ways to preserve the bounty of the abundant seasons, mostly involving freezing. (We put a chest freezer on our wedding registry. It gets more use than the champagne flutes.) These preserving projects are quite simple to do and apart from ample freezer space, require only a minimal time commitment. Here are a few ideas:

Sweet peppers can be cut up into small pieces and frozen immediately in large ziplock bags. If you have never tried this, you will be amazed at how they defrost right in the oil as you sauté them, and how you would never know the difference once they’re cooked. They don’t retain the crunch they have when fresh, so you wouldn’t want to put them in a salad. But they’re great in stir fries, omelets or saucy concoctions like peperonata. 

Hot peppers are one of my favorite things to freeze. So overly abundant in August and September, I don’t really start craving (or having the time to cook) spicy Thai food until the middle of winter, when the only hot peppers in the stores are ancient, depressing things. I just put them whole into a quart sized bag and pull from it all year (and often into the next).  

Other seasonings I have had good luck freezing are ginger—I buy a few pounds from Old Friends Farm and it lasts all year—and garlic. I find that our garlic really only lasts in top shape in our kitchen until the end of January. As it dries out, the flavor becomes too strong to eat raw. So last year I peeled a whole bunch of garlic the week it was picked, when it’s just so fresh and juicy, and froze it in a bag. It turned out to be a great convenience food; I would just grab a clove and grate it, still frozen, on the microplane, into a salad dressing or a marinade. If I didn’t use the whole clove, I just tossed it right back in the bag and stuck it back in the freezer. To sauté the frozen garlic just wait a few minutes for it to partially thaw, then mince it and sauté it like normal. It acts and tastes just like fresh! It really got me through March and April.

You can even freeze some of the more rugged herbs like parsley, thyme and rosemary. I freeze them in plastic containers. No one has ever used a whole bunch of rosemary before it goes bad. Just stick it in the freezer. 

Sweet corn is only available for another couple of weeks. Why buy frozen corn in the store when you can make your own for dirt cheap and it tastes so much better? Just cut the corn of the cobs, stick it in a bag and you’re done. Corn and seafood chowder all winter.

Broccoli and greens are also easy to freeze, but you have to blanch them first. Just dunk them in boiling water for a minute and then plunge into cold water to stop the cooking.

When freezing  green things you want to avoid ending up with gallon sized bricks that you need a chainsaw to portion out. With greens, form serving-sized balls and freeze them on a cookie sheet before putting them in bags. 

Blanched broccoli can be put on the sheet in a single layer and frozen so that when you transfer it to a bag, the florets are individually frozen and you can pull out just what you need. 

Though I’m kind of embarrassed to admit it, we survive on tofu and tempeh stir-fried with frozen peppers and broccoli all winter long. A home grown meal that only takes 20 minutes to prepare. No chopping, even. And the kids will usually eat it. 

Don’t even get me started on fruit. If you’re diligent, your freezer is already half full with strawberries and blueberries. But other fruits are easy to freeze, too. I’ve got a whole case of peaches at home that I’m going to blanch, peel and halve, freeze on a tray and transfer to bags. They make amazing smoothies and are great for baking. A bowl of vanilla ice cream topped with stewed frozen peaches spiked with local honey and ginger in January, anyone?  

Being a family of food-loving farmers, we have learned to delay our gratification. There simply isn’t enough time for us to savor the fruits of our labors and of the seasons in the way they should be: unrushed. We’re often too exhausted to cook this time of year, so when we have the energy, we devote it to preservation projects. Gratification may be delayed, but when it comes, it sure is sweet.

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One of the best cookbooks of 2009 was "The Pleasures of Cooking for One" by Judith Jones. I gave a copy to my mother and enjoyed perusing it during our Christmas visit. Here's one of the recipes that stuck with me.

• 1 frozen ball of greens or 1 fresh bunch (use chard, kale, beet greens, spinach, etc.)
• 2 Tbsp Olive oil
• 2 eggs
• Salt & Pepper
• Toast

Heat the oil in a small wok or frying pan. Add the greens and saute for 5 minutes, adding a few drops of water if necessary and a pinch of salt. Make two little pockets in the greens and break an egg in each, sprinkling with salt & pepper. Cover the pan with a lid and increase heat to high for 30 seconds to generate some steam. Immediately reduce heat to low and steam for 6-7 minutes or until the eggs are set. Avoid peeking if possible. Serve on toast for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

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This is a simple soup eaten daily in Portugal in infinite versions. There seems to be a Cape Cod Portuguese-American version as that contains beans and a different type of sausage, linguiça. Either way, the combination of rich potato broth, deep hearty greens and salty pork is perfect for those cold rainy fall nights. Try it with a wine from the Douro region!

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in 1" chunks
• 6 cups water or vegetable stock
• 1-2 bunches kale, collards, or 1/2 savoy cabbage
• Thin slices or small chunks of dry sausage such as chorizo or sopressata (optional)

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 25-30 minutes or until potatoes break apart. Puree the soup with an immersion blender, food mill, or some other way. Return to the pan. Wash and remove the tough stems from the kale or collards and stack the leaves on top of one another.  Roll them up like a cigar and slice into very fine shreds. (They use a meat grinder-like machine for this at markets in Portugal so you can buy it pre-shredded. It looks kind of like grass clippings.) Add kale to simmering potato broth and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Serve hot in bowls garnished with the sliced sausage and a thread of high quality olive oil.

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There are infinite variations to this dish. Below are the basic principles; feel free to interpret the recipe as you like. Greens provide an earthy pungency that counteracts the sweetness of other southern dishes. Serve alongside southern barbeque or fried chicken, with roasted sweet potatoes or sweet potato pie for dessert.

• 1 bunch Turnip Greens (about 2 lbs)
• 1 Turnip
• 6 slices bacon (or equivalent salt pork, ham hock, or smoked turkey wings)
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic (optional)
• Salt & Pepper

Wash the greens thoroughly in cold water. Remove any tough stems and roughly chop the leaves. Peel and slice the turnip into bite-sized pieces. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add greens and cook about 15 minutes, then drain and discard cooking water. (Turnip greens can be quite pungent, some say bitter. Boiling removes the unpleasant flavor.) In a large skillet, fry the bacon until crisp and set aside. Add the onion (and garlic) and saute in remaining bacon grease until soft. Crumble the bacon and return to the pan along with the sliced turnip and the boiled greens. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1 cup water or stock and cook 30 minutes over low heat. Serves 4 greens lovers.

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• 2-3 large leeks, cleaned
• 1 large bulb fennel
• 1 pound spinach or chard
• 2 cloves garlic
• 8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 eggs
• Smattering of herbs like parsley, dill, and mint
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• Small pinch cayenne powder
• Salt & pepper
• 1 package frozen phyllo dough or puff pastry
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil

Thinly slice the leeks and fennel across the grain.  Heat 1/4 cup of the oil over medium heat in your most capacious frying pan or wok, or in a large saucepan. Add the sliced vegetables and sauté until thoroughly softened, about 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, wash and chop the greens and blanch in boiling salted water for 2 minutes.  Drain, chill in cold water, wring out and reserve.  Chop the garlic very finely and add to the sautéing vegetables.  When they are ready, remove from heat and add the greens, crumbled feta, herbs, lemon juice, and eggs. Mix thoroughly and season with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste. 

Defrost dough according to package directions.  If using phyllo, place one sheet at a time on a large cookie sheet, brushing with the remaining oil between the layers until half the package is used.  Pour on the filling and spread it out evenly.  Cover with remaining dough, brushing each layer with oil, and bake at 350° for 45 minutes to an hour, until the top is golden brown.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.  Serve at room temperature the following day for lunch.

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This recipe is good not only for broccoli rabe, but is capable of transforming any of the coarser leafy greens (kale, collards, mustard greens, turnip greens, escarole) into something utterly sinful.

• 1 lb. short, thick pasta (orecchiette, fusilli or cavatappi)
• 1 bunch broccoli rabe, chopped
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 heads of garlic, sliced
• 1/4 tsp. chili flakes, or to taste (or a fresh chili, sliced with scissors right into the oil)
• 1 tin anchovy filets, drained and  coarsely chopped
• Pecorino Romano, grated

Put a large pot of water on to boil, and in the meantime wash and chop the greens. Salt the water generously when it boils and add the pasta. When the pasta is half done, toss the greens right in the water with them. 

Separately, in a small pan, saute the garlic and chili gently in the oil. Before the garlic browns, turn down the flame to low and add the anchovies, stirring until they dissolve. (Do not be afraid, we have served this to staunchly anti-anchovy people and they were instantly converted). When the pasta is al dente drain it and toss with the garlic sauce. Serve with the grated Pecorino.  Buon appetito!

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