Puree and Freeze 101

It takes some planning and some freezer space but over the past year, I have become a great believer in not letting any of the wonderful organic produce that we get from a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm go to waste. Here is a step-by-easy-step method to steam, puree and freeze those veggies for future use as baby food or just added nutrition to everyday meals.

We got a load of garnet yams over the last 2 deliveries. I've experimented with different yam dishes outside the holiday realm and haven't found anything that the family is wild about. So I just steam and then puree them to use later.

First, cut each yam in half. No peeling necessary!

Place halves in steamer and cook for approximately 35 minutes:

I should have taken a picture of how easy it is to scoop the yams out of the skins. I love it when I don't have to peel something. Scoop it all in to a food processor and blend until smooth:

Then load the puree into ice cube trays. I got these at the Dollar Store and they come with a cover! I only use these trays for food freezing:

Freeze for 1-2 hours or overnight. Remove from freezer and let sit for about 5 minutes. Loosen the cubes and place in to zippered freezer bags for long term storage:

I did a bunch of spinach after the yams and just started feeding my 6-month old the spinach - she is loving it. I am loving not spending money on expensive organic baby food and knowing exactly what my kids are eating. I also love adding a few cubes to spaghetti sauce, mac n cheese or any other casserole. It saves time and adds valuable nutrition to your meals. Here's to a healthy 2009!

Sweet-Tart Pluot Crepes

My son Michael wanted pancakes this morning but I realized that we took our griddle on the boat this summer and did not bring it back. So I decided to make crepes instead. I like an egg-y crepe rather than a flour-y crepe so this recipe has a lot less flour than a lot of recipes that I have seen. The pluots were from our CSA box, Full Circle Farm in Carnation, WA. If you don't know, and I didn't until I started writing this and "blingo'd" it, a pluot is a cross between a plum and an apricot. I have been eating these almost all summer and did not know that. These pluots had a LOT of watery liquid with what seemed like very little juice but don't worry, it all cooks off and combined with the brown sugar, it makes a wonderful thick syrup. They are deliciously tart and combined with the sweetness of the crepes, make a savory breakfast for a Saturday morning.

Elizabeth's Crepes

1/2 cup flour

1 tbsp sugar

pinch of salt

3 large eggs

1 cup milk

Combine and whisk the dry ingredients. Mix in the eggs and slowly drizzle in the milk, whisking it all together. Batter will be very runny.

I use a non-stick small skillet and non-stick spray, heat on medium. Add about 1/4 cup of batter and swirl around the pan until batter coats pan evenly. Crepes cook very quickly, so using a small spatula, turn after about 20 seconds. If there's still runny batter in the middle of the crepe after 20 secs then you may need to turn your heat up a bit. Transfer crepes to a small plate.

Pluot Filling

3 small Pluots, cut into small slices

1 tsp butter

1 tbsp brown sugar

Place Pluots and butter in a small saucepan and heat on medium until simmering. Add brown sugar and simmer until sauce is thickened. Serve sauce on the side and let everyone assemble their own.

I also like to have small lemon slices for drizzling and powdered sugar for the crepes. Of course, my son thinks they are just a thin pancake so he likes regular maple syrup on his

How do you like your crepes?!!

Summer Harvest

Over the winter, after an awesome conversation with one of our cabin partners and inspired by Michael Pollan's writings, I solidified my plans to plant a garden. This is only the second time I've attempted vegetable gardening. I figured that since I would be on maternity leave for the WHOLE summer, I would have plenty of time to tend to this venture. Reality check was that I didn't even really have to "tend" it at all - it tended itself. Ok, my mom and Michael [DS] planted it when I was too huge to do it and she watered it most days but after that, the weeds have been minimal and easily pulled at the first sign. There wasn't much to do except let the harvest roll in.

Since we did not use any fertilizers or anything on this garden, I consider it organic.

We've had more zuchinni and green beans than we can count. Not so successful were the peas, which, according to my parents, peaked quickly and while we were on vacation. Romaine lettuce never grew quite as large as expected and did not yield but one good head, which we mixed with some store-bought for a fantastic Caesar salad.

Where are the savings you ask? Well, I looked at my local Safeway store and they sell organic Italian squash for .61 per squash. They don't list organic green beans except the frozen variety, which sell for $3.50 per pound.

Technically, if you add up the materials used to get the garden started, including the seeds and building the raised beds (thanks to my trusty and oh-so handyman husband), I'm probably not saving a lot this year. And I didn't add up my total yields for each vegetable. But let me tell you how absolutely THRILLED Michael has been to go out to our garden to watch the progression of the veggies as they have grown and now that we actually have something to show for it - as the cliche ad goes, "Priceless."