It's ok though. I get to break out my jeans and that feels pretty nice indeed.
It also has kicked my domesticity (see post from last week) into full gear. Whatever speed I've lost by biking slower due to that sunny haze, I've made up for in putting together ideas for what to pack/prep/freeze before it's too late. I couldn't do it all myself, and I've had the best partner in Marie. She keeps calm when I spill salsa verde out of my food processor. She doesn't laugh when make little old lady-isms without irony. I truly would be overwhelmed and more than a little bored without her company and that of others stopping by to watch the preserving process.
Also she tightens a mean jar.
Per Marie's idea, our next week of food preservation will leave the boiling water alone and focus on freezing fajita mixins and pestos. Rather than scribble down our list for us to see, I thought I would share the process of determining what items we need, how much, and how local we can keep the supply chain. Enjoy our list. Come over in February for some tacos!
The below list will have an end result of sage/pecan pesto, lemon/cilantro pesto, vegan mint pesto, basil/garlic pesto, frozen onion/bellpepper mix, frozen roasted tomatoes, and frozen summer squashes*.
20 Summer Squashes (unfortunately our summer squash plants fell victim to squash worms)
3 large handfuls sage leaves
6 Heads Garlic
2c +1/3c + coarsely grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (hard to find locally)
2 cups fresh cilantro (if able to find locally grown)
1/3 cup pine nuts
20-25 paste tomatoes
20 Bell Peppers
15 Onions
Cilantro
In Stock At Home:
3/4 cup unsalted pecans (or almonds)
3/4 cup unsalted pecans (or almonds)
1/3 + 1/4 + 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
lemon juice
1C + 3C Basil (from Marie's garden)
Thyme (from my garden)
Sea Salt
Sea Salt
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves (from my garden)
1/2 cup fresh parsley (from my garden)
1/2 cup fresh parsley (from my garden)
Really the hardest part of doing all this preparation is budgeting the cost and taking that big hit at first. My mantra of "this means less money in the winter on food" keeps punching back any monetary pangs from the wallet. For example - last weekend's salsa verde broke down to this:
$16 Tomatillos (a price I am proud to say I negotiated by offering to buy all their supply)
$3 Lime Juice
$4.50 Jalapeños
$7 Pint Jars
$3 Onion
$1.00 Garlic
Total: $34.50
Output: 9 Pints
Cost Per Pint: $3.83 (also - no tax y'all!)
Overall, the cost evens out. Search online for cases of salsa and you'll find $30-$40 for 12 jars on average. Not to mention the cost of the jars is an investment in itself, I stand by my decision.
And to be blunt and preachy - I feel better for having bought everything, except for the lime juice, from a local farmer. (Mmmmm smug self righteous and satisfying salsa). But really. For me personally, I place a large amount of importance on giving my money to a real person, who is doing what I wish I could, and making their income through labor and devotion to sustainable agriculture. I would love if others put an equal amount of value on buying as much locally as possible but everyone has their own budget, their own upbringing, and view on that. No matter how fashionable it is in the media. There is still quite a bit of work to be done showcasing and convincing others of the benefits of purchasing locally grown food.
For now. I'll just dream of winter roasted tomato with pesto pasta and summer squash and hope some of that locally grown garlic stink rubs off on you.
Wishing you full and happy heads and stomachs...
Love love love,
K.
* I cannot recommend the Pick Your Own site enough for those of you looking to go forage at a farm near you or learn more about freezing/canning from a great source. It's truly amazing and a wealth of food preservation knowledge. True story.
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