It's the best time of year to cook and eat
My yearly reminder that you should be preserving summer’s bounty.
The shoulder season between summer and fall is arguably the best time of year to cook and eat. Farmers’ markets are still overflowing with all of the produce that makes summer worthwhile, but they’re starting to be joined by all the things I’d more closely associate with fall. It’s still warm enough to be outside without a jacket, but cool enough that you don’t sweat when you turn on your oven. Being in New York this time of year feels like a reward for muscling through the long, sticky days that are common in the summer. We made it through, we’ve earned this.
Each year in the last few stretches of summer, I spend some time combing the markets, texting with farmers, and cooking down my favorite vegetables to store in my freezer. A few years ago, I published the Lazy Person’s Guide to Preserving Summer Produce and it's a playbook I pull from every season. What I freeze depends on what I've been cooking and eating. Corn and green beans were particularly prevalent on my summer menus, so I cut kernels off the cob to freeze for easy access, and packed as many fistfuls of green beans in a gallon bag as I could.
I also focused on the idea of a base — something I can pull out and depending on my mood, take it in a few different directions. I’ve always made a tomato sauce base, but this year I also made tomato confit, a green herb base, and an eggplant-tomato base. These aren’t meals on their own, but they provide a foundation that’s better than anything I can buy in a store.
Packing your freezer takes planning, time, and usually means doing the dishes a lot more than you usually do, but I can guarantee you that come winter, you’ll be glad you took the time to think ahead.
P.S. Next week, I will be sending another post for paid subscribers featuring a few great recipes to use the last bit of late summer produce. Look out for a charred salsa from my mom, giardiniera from my dad, and a corn pizza inspired by my friend Diane. Subscribe to get the recipes!
