Putting Up: The Collection

There is something intensely satisfying about knowing that your freezer and cupboards are loaded with summery goodness just sitting there, waiting for you. I have froze, dehydrated and canned to create this impressive collection of food:

Yeah, it just looks like a bunch of bags and jars. But it contains so much awesomeness. Like: Several pounds of dried tomatoes waiting for pasta or an unusual pesto, apple halves to be used for making apple cakes & muffins, 5 lb frozen organic bell pepper strips (from PA peppers on sale at Whole Foods for...$1/lb!!!) for chilis and soups, dried herbs for...well...anything, frozen watermelon puree for a taste of summer anytime, jars & jars of Green Tomato & Apple Chutney, apple sauce, frozen blueberries from my boss' garden, frozen grated zucchini for zucchini bread, dried mint for peppermint tea, garlic scape pesto for a pasta or pizza, garden-fresh canned tomatoes for Ribollita...

I'm very excited to have all this seasonal (mostly local and organic) produce ready for my out-of-season use. Of course, the frozen apples and peppers won't be crisp like they are fresh, but that's OK for fall & winter purposes. This time of year I crave soups and stews & other "wet food" as a friend of mine used to call it. In short, the lack of crispness isn't as important if it's going to be simmering in an Chicken Tortilla Soup for 30 minutes, ya know?

It's going to be a good winter.