Summer Time
We celebrated the first beefsteak tomatoes of the year by having BLT’s! We made a fresh basil and chard relish to replace lettuce–which with the heat isn’t in season. I have really been realizing the ways to utilize Swiss Chard fresh. It is delicious! All you need is to lightly marinate it with a dressing (for a salad), or in the case tonight some finely chopped basil for our sandwhiches.
I’d like to thank both of you again for an amazing first season. I ended up spending about twice as much time as usual in the kitchen, but it was worth it. We’ve eaten better this year than ever before (which is saying something, because we’re pretty health conscious!).
We consumed or preserved roughly 95 percent of our standard-size share (not counting the relatively inedible bits, like turnip peels), with only about five percent going to the compost pile. Most of that five percent was hot peppers, I’m sorry to say. The tomatoes, though, were delightful in their abundance. We especially liked the green striped ones. Were those Green Zebras from Baker Creek?
In case anyone’s curious, here’s what we have left, as we head into the first boxless week.
Frozen, in the refrigerator:
• 1 pt. pre-made pesto
• 1 1/2 pts. mixed greens
• 2 qts. tomatoes
Dehydrated, in the pantry:
• 1/2 c. sliced tomatoes
• 3/4 c. dill
• 1 c. parsley
• 1 c. sliced jalapenos
• 1 pt. kale flakes
• 1 1/2 pt. cabbage flakes
• 1 qt. beet chips
Fresh, to be used within the next 1 to 3 weeks:
• 1 c. infused vinegar
• 1 cucumber
• 4 heads garlic
• 2 small onions
• 3 leeks
• 1 bunch beets
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 3 lbs. potatoes in mixed colors
• 3 winter squash
• 2 watermelons
• 14 assorted peppers
• 20 tomatoes