Super Sunday

When I get behind in my shareholder box and the vegetables start piling up in the refrigerator, it’s time for what I like to call “Super Sunday”. This is the day when I buckle down and spend most of the day cooking, prepping for the week and using up as many items as I can. On this particular Sunday, I not only prepped for the week, but also started thinking ahead to the winter months when good, fresh produce is in short supply.

I’m not an experienced canner, so I freeze as much produce as I can to use in the winter months. There are a few tricks to freezing vegetables; make sure to research the proper way to freeze produce online. There are a number of websites the provide helpful information or you can download this free pdf.

Here’s my to-do list on Super Sunday:

• Make a triple batch of basil pesto to freeze in small containers
  
• Roast the sweet pumpkin and freeze to make Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Cayenne Pepper – make sure to blanch and freeze the seeds and guts, too
  
• Blanch, chop and freeze kale to make White Bean, Kale and Chorizo Soup
  
• Clean and separate broccoli florets; peel tough, outer layer from broccoli stem and slice into quarter-inch rounds
  
• Blanch and freeze broccoli florets and stems
  
• Clean and separate cauliflower florets to use during the week
• Slice, clean and drain leeks to use for dinner
  
• Wash and juice leftover beets, red cabbage and kale; mix with apple cider from the farmer’s market
• Wash and dry lettuce to have on hand throughout the week for salads
• Roast the eggplant and red peppers to make Eggplant Caviar; freeze extra roasted red peppers to use as a pizza topping
  
• Toast pita chips to serve with Eggplant Caviar