November 20, 2009 by Debra.

This is the time of year I find myself taking more food from storage than putting away. A well-stocked pantry and root cellar provides a sense of security knowing that we’ll have local food to eat throughout the winter. This is especially important for those times we’re snowed in or can’t get to the farmers’ market. However, if you’re accustomed to shopping on a weekly or daily basis, planning and storing food for the winter can be a daunting task. The amounts of food some suggest can seem enough to feed a proverbial army.

Both MOFGA’s fact sheet, Storing Garden Vegetables, and article, Root Cellars: Safe and Secure from the Corporate Food Train, are good places to start. “Root Cellars” suggests the following quantities for a family of four:

Quantities and Varieties

 

Perhaps the biggest question regarding root-cellaring is how much food you’ll need… I recommend starting small – perhaps with a second refrigerator in the garage or basement. If your family is more adventurous and eager to commit to eating the way our great, great grandparents did, you might start with these quantities for a family of four:

 

Apples: 5 bushels

Carrots: 40 to 60 pounds

Cabbage: green, 20 heads; red, 10 heads

Beets: 20 pounds

Celeriac: (celery root, use instead of celery) 10 to 20 heads

Leeks: 40 plants

Potatoes: 100 pounds or more

Jerusalem artichoke: 10 pounds

Onions: 40 pounds

Garlic: 10 to 20 pounds

Winter radish: 10

Parsnip: 20 pounds

Squash: 40 ‘Delicata’ and 30 pounds butternut

Pumpkin: 5 to 10

Turnip and rutabaga: 10 or more

For my family of two, I started by dividing these quantities in half. I usually skip the few vegetables we either seldom eat or have difficulty finding, and increase the ones we favor. The first time I used this list, I discovered that the amounts of carrots, garlic and onions were not enough to take me through to the next season. These are what I think of as the seasoning vegetables, the ones I reach for on almost a daily basis. To adjust for this, I simply doubled the amounts for these vegetables. In practical terms, we tend to have more potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic, and less Jerusalem artichokes and winter radishes. And I always overbuy on winter squashes, one of my weaknesses.

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September 17, 2009 by Debra.

Swags of dried corn are one sign of Fall’s arrival here in New England. However, it was only after a visit to the Good Life Center that I realized that dried corn represented something more than the ornamental. Located in Harborside, Maine, the center is the final hand-built home of Helen and Scott Nearing, and is actively maintained by stewards as an example of sustainable living. We entered the stone building through the kitchen, where that season’s harvest of corn was drying in the rafters, hung in bundles. Nearby, a hand-operated grinder resided on the counter — the corn was to be the caretaker’s source of flour for the coming year.

Since then, I’ve learned of other ways of using dried corn. Before I can try recipes such as Old-Fashioned Creamy Corn or Baked Dried Corn Casserole with Dried Peppers, though, I need to build up my stock first. An alternate way of preserving corn is through oven-drying. The procedure may seem time-consuming, but went faster than anticipated. The bulk of the drying happened when left in the oven overnight. As noted in the following recipe from Market Chefs:

 “This preserve proves its worth during the long gray winter months. The bright corn flavor that emerges from the re-hydrated corn brings warm reminders of summer like no frozen or canned corn ever could. Stir soaked dried corn into polenta for a buttery corn flavor. Add a couple of spoonfuls to stew or winter squash soup. It can also be used to make the most amazing vegetarian stock to use in soups, vegetable ragouts, and even risotto.”

 Oven-Dried Corn

• 8 cups fresh corn cut from the cob (about 12 ears)

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1½ teaspoon sugar (optional)

• ¼ cup heavy cream

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large saucepan or shallow pot. Cook over medium-low heat, stir often, until the cream is absorbed.

2. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Divide the corn between 2 or 3 large sheetpans or jellyroll pans (baking dishes will work as well, but it may take a bit longer for the corn to dehydrate). I used one large shallow baking pan.

3. Bake in the oven, stirring every 15 minutes, for 1 hour. Stirring will keep the kernels from sticking together, and opening the oven door will allow steam to escape.

4. Leaving the pans in the oven, turn off the heat and allow the oven to cool. When the oven is cold, turn the oven back on to 200 degrees and repeat the cooking and stirring for 1 more hour. Repeat this procedure until the corn is completely dehydrated. It’s fine to leave the corn in the oven to cool overnight and resume drying in the morning. The corn kernels should end up half their original size and they will be a deep golden color.

5. Store the dried corn in sealed jars.

To reconstitute: Use 2 cups of water for each cup of corn. In a saucepan, bring the water and corn to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to moderate and simmer, partially covered, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the corn is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Notes: Variations of this recipe are available at Mother Earth News and Straight from the Farm. A dozen ears yields about 3 to 4 cups of dried corn but, as we discovered, will depend on how much gets snacked on before making its way into storage.

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August 30, 2009 by Sara Zoe.

Rachel Forrest attended the canning demonstration at the Portsmouth Farmers’ Market and wrote about the things she learned:

Recently, I got some information on how to can correctly at the Portsmouth farmers market from Claudia Boozer-Blasco, extension educator in Family and Consumer Resources, with the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension in Rockingham County.

Now, I know how to can veggies and sauces. I’ve done it before, but one thing I never learned were some of the reasons why certain processes are done to avoid illness in canning. I’m one of those people who always asks, “OK, so why did you do that?”

The water bath process is for high acid foods — your jams, applesauce, pickled beets, tomatoes. First thing I didn’t know — the acid and the boiling point work together to eliminate the botulism. With pressure cooking canning, used with lower acid foods like beans and corn, it’s temperature and pressure. The recipe will tell you which one to use.

Second thing I didn’t know — use a book with canning recipes published after the mid-1980s because it reflects the changes made in recipes since the USDA et al tested the recipes and let us know the science behind canning.

Read the full article >

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August 18, 2009 by Debra.

Really, I should have know better. After all, I’d been warned.

“Most people plant too much summer squash…. This won’t happen to you if you plant a small amount of squash (and I mean one to three plants, total)….”  — Marian Morash, “The Victory Garden Cookbook”

 “ …some people are slow to realize that they only need a few.” — Barbara Damrosch, “The Garden Primer”

Truth be told, I’m a late-comer to squash. It was only when I had summer squash fresh from the farmer’s market that I understood how delicately flavorful they can be — slightly floral, nutty, and with a tender crunch in texture. I enjoy having them now that they’re in season. However, life with five summer squash plants means having to know a lot of ways to prepare them. As a kind of public service announcement, here is a list of what to do with zucchini (and other summer squash). Just in case the Chocolate Zucchini Cake recipe doesn’t resolve the surplus, I find freezing is a quick way to preserve them.

Freezing Summer Squash: 

1. Wash squash, drain and pat dry.

2. Trim ends off. Slice no thicker than 1/4 inch.

3. Pack and freeze.

• Squash may be sliced 1/2-inch thick and tray-frozen, unblanched, to be used later breaded or flour-coated and fried. Do not defrost before frying.

• Grate and freeze squash for frittatas, fruit breads, cookies and muffins. Defrost to use, squeezing out moisture before measuring and adding to recipe.

• For better flavor and texture, cook squash while still frozen by stir-frying or steaming.

Note:  Adapted from “The Busy Person’s Guide to Preserving Food” by Janet Chadwick.

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August 8, 2009 by Debra.

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July 14, 2009 by Debra.

The season for fresh peas is all too brief and easily missed. It seems fewer farmers are growing them, and their appearance at the farmers’ market is often eclipsed by the increasing variety of other offerings there. Still, a few hold-outs persist (thank-you Meadow’s Mirth and Wild Root), and the welcome change in weather means fresh peas should be available for the next few weeks or so.

When peas do appear locally, I make sure I buy enough to put away for winter. They’re a great entry-level vegetable if you’re just learning to stock up.

Freezing Peas:

1. Blanch shelled peas in boiling water for 1 minute. This fixes their color and sweetness, and they will start to float when ready to remove.
2. Chill immediately in cold water, then drain. Do not let them sit in water too long or texture will be affected.
3. Package and freeze. Peas may be flash-frozen on trays before packaging to keep them from freezing to one another.

After they’re poached and chilled, I reserve enough for a simple dinner of fresh peas and crab. A slaw-like salad made with kohlrabi, and a side dish of roasted beets, both from this week’s CSA share, rounds out another locally-sourced meal. I imagine that native shrimp instead of crab would also work well with these flavors. 

Fresh Pea & Crab Salad:

• 1 1/2 cups shelled peas, poached
• 6 to 8 ounces fresh cooked Maine crabmeat
• 1 scallion, minced
• several sprigs of mint leaves, chopped
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
•  juice from 1/2 lemon

Combine ingredients, and adjust amounts and seasoning to taste. 

Notes: Recipe adapted from Mark Bittman. Freezing instructions adapted from “Keeping the Harvest” by Nancy Chioffi & Gretchen Mead. Tuttles and Riverside Farm Stand may still have fresh peas, and can be found along with other local sources at Seacoast Harvest.

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June 24, 2009 by Debra.

Not having grown up in New England, many locally-grown foods were unfamiliar to me when I moved here. Rhubarb seemed very exotic, with its fleshy crimson and acid-green stalks, and hint of danger contained within its toxic parasol-like leaves. Commonly known as “pie plant,” I began by dutifully making strawberry-rhubarb pies. Since then, I’ve come to appreciate rhubarb’s ability to stand on its own, as featured in a rustic galette made with a cornmeal crust. This season I look forward to trying rhubarb as a juice, pickled, and in a savory dish combining it with lentils.

Its appearance at the farmers’ markets also marks the beginning of the preserving season. Frozen or as preserves, the tart nature of rhubarb brings a welcome brightness to winter desserts. In its frozen form, rhubarb can be used in many recipes or left to process into preserves at a later date. Rhubarb preserves make for a quick dessert spooned over ice cream, fresh ricotta or yogurt, or swirled with a dollop of creme fraiche and served as a topping for buttermilk biscuits or pound cake.

Frozen Rhubarb: wash, wipe dry, trim ends, cut into ½ to 1-inch pieces, freeze on trays, pack into containers and store in freezer.

Rhubarb Preserves:

1. Wash and trim off both ends of each stalk. Cut into ½ to 1-inch pieces, depending on size of stalk).

2. Add ½ cup sugar to each quart of sliced fruit. Let stand for several hours to draw out the juice.

3. Begin heating the water in canner. Prepare jars and lids.

4. Boil the rhubarb with their juices for 1 minute.

5. Pack into clean hot jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Cover with hot juice, leaving ½-inch headspace.

6. Process pints and quarts for 10 minutes in boiling water bath canner.

Notes: A quart of trimmed rhubarb is a little over a pound. 1½ quarts of rhubarb makes 2 pints of preserves. I let the preserves settle for at least several weeks before using. Recipe adapted from “The Busy Person’s Guide to Preserving Food”.

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May 10, 2009 by Sara Zoe.

Canned food — an often needed timesaver, a sometimes necessity, and most of the time a complete mystery in terms of where these foods were grown.

The Global Grocer from Food and Water Watch is a tool that aims to help us demystify where those apples for that apple juice were grown before they were packaged at the address listed on the label. The tool also covers frozen foods and fresh. Some of the information is somewhat benign, such as potatoes. But those apples for that apple juice? Grown in China, a country that we know has significantly different agricultural practices that result in more contaminants in our food.

I’m going to use this tool to help me focus my shopping when I need to rely on non-local foods, and as inspiration to do more of my own canning and freezing at home!  Visit the Global Grocer >

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September 11, 2008 by Sara Zoe.

Wake Robin Farm poblanos at the Durham Farmers’ Market

If you’ve run into me of late, I’ve probably been talking about poblanos. In fact, I can’t shut up about them, and since everyone I know in real life is getting pretty sick of the subject, I’ve turned to inflicting my poblano mania on blog readers.

Oh poblanos - how do I love thee? Let me count the ways: you are meaty, and warm, with just the right spice, not too much - I eat you not as a condiment but as a major ingredient. Your roasty flavor is perfect for a tacos, or nachos, or with rice and beans and cheese, or for Santa Fe style chile cheeseburgers (though true Santa Fe style chile cheeseburgers require New Mexican chiles, but, beloved poblanos, you are perfect for me. Sante Fe style chile cheeseburgers are simply burgers topped with chiles, yellow mustard, and american cheese, and they are way more than the sum of their parts).

The rainy summer was horrible for tomatoes. It was horrible for trying to plant fall crops. It was horrible for a lot of things, but the peppers loved it. And every farmers’ market I go to, I am buying loads and loads and loads of poblanos.

I am eating them - but I am also saving them for winter.

If you just want dinner, and aren’t grilling anyway, put a dry cast iron skillet on your stove and blacken them to death there. But if you are freezing them for winter, the grill is the fastest, easiest, and most fun way to do them in batches. And then your grill is ready for your burgers when your poblanos are done.

Roast your poblanos until they are pretty black. A few brown spots are fine. Put them all in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Walk away and make the rest of your dinner. By now they will be cool and their skins will easily peel off in your hands. The chiles themselves will be soft and cooked through. For chile rellenos, you’ll have to carefully slit them to remove the seeds and stuff them with cheese. For all other uses, simply slice them open, discard the seeds, and eat. When I’m freezing them, I pack them really really really tightly into little deli containers and freeze. You can also roast one day, and let them sit in the plastic wrapped bowl in the fridge and finish peeling/processing for the freezer another day - the skins come off even easier once they are really cool.

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August 29, 2008 by Sara Zoe.

Looking to freeze/can/make sauce?

You can pick-your-own tomatoes at Warren Farm in Barrington. On their website today:

The PYO tomato patch is open and loaded with tomatoes, red or green, and priced at $1/lb. We have 15 varieties and most of them are ready. The romas are ripe in the center clusters. We have two varieties of them this year, Viva italiana, roma and big mamma.   Lots of customers make sauce using the heirloom Mortgage Lifter also, as it is so meaty, and combine it with the other varieties. Sometime in September we have a frost, however we cover our tomatoes and continue to pick them. Last year we picked tomatoes until October 28th!  We have late plantings of cukes, summer squash, zucchini, lettuce and kale also. We cover up any crops that are not frost tolerant and keep them going as long as possible.

Heather Warren updates the site daily, and you can always call ahead to check picking conditions -

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