Late Summer Kitchen News

 

August is such a busy month.  There is so much happening in the garden, and so much transitioning happening with the start of school. It's overwhelming and exhausting at times - but gardening, processing and cooking is so much a part of the fabric of who I am.  I wouldn't want it any other way. Summer is just too busy for blogging.  It's hard to keep a record of our days- time seems to flow very quickly.  Late August is always a nesting sort of time for me.  I can see the storm  of our busy September and October calendar approaching - so I try to do what I can now in order to save myself time later.  This time of year I try to add at least two meals to the freezer for every meal I make.  It's less work to make one big mess with several meals to show for it.  I like to think of it as banking time.   So, on that note here's what I've been up to in the kitchen this summer. 

 

Here's what I've canned so far this year:

 

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam - 12 half pints

Rhubarb Cinnamon Jam - 11 half pints

Strawberry Jam - 9 half pints

Peaches -49 quarts

Summer Applesauce (Rambo and Ginger Gold) - 44 quarts

Nectarines - 7 quarts

Dill Pickles - 10 quarts, 4 pints

Salsa - 43 pints

Tomato Juice -6 pints

Whole Tomatoes - 9 quarts, 1 pint

 

 

The freezer is almost completely full of frozen vegis, fruit and ready made suppers and lunches.  I'm not as good about keeping track of what goes into the freezer - so here's an approximation.

 

Beans - 2 Gallons

Sliced Peaches - 5 Gallons

Berries (Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries) - 20 quarts

Broccoli - 1 quart

Zucchini - 1 quart - chopped

Zucchini Bread - 10 loaves

Chard Enchilladas - 2 pans

Cheeseburger Casserole - 2 pans

Quiche - a plethora of different kinds

Soups - too many to keep track of

Black Bean Pie - 2 pies

Corn Bread and Chili Casserole - 5 pans

Greens and Rice Casserole - 2 pans

Pizza Muffins and Corn Dog Muffins - for lunch boxes

I know there are more freezer meals, but I can't remember what I've made. 

 

 I've also been drying herbs (mostly basil) and doing a bit of fermenting (kim chee, sauerkraut and kosher dill pickles).

 

It gives me a warm cozy feeling to know that when students come next week, and when time becomes short on nights with practice and classes, the freezer and canning cupboard are full of meals in minutes.  I can't imagine the stress of trying to figure out what to make for dinner when I got home - or having to find the time to actually make dinner.  This way I'll be able to enjoy my family- and hopefully still get to bed at a decent hour.  What strategies do you use for surviving back to school?

 

 

 



Chard Enchiladas, Corn and Cucumber Salad

We've been eating a lot more meat this summer - pretty unusual for this mostly vegi family.  Reading Girl became a bit obsessed with Hebrew National Hot Dogs as evidenced by the hot dog face painting at the library reading party.  I love her quirky personality.

Chicken Cacciatore in the Crock pot

Finally, finally bringing in loads of tomatoes