End of the Harvest.

Last Wednesday, my last Coopers Farm CSA boxes for 2010 arrived on my porch. While I was grateful that they extended the CSA program an extra three weeks this year, I always hate when it comes to an end.

Luckily, I have lots of potatoes, parsnips, carrots and squash stored that will get me through the next month which will help with my withdrawal. These last three years as a CSA member, have really made a difference in terms of the quality of food that we are eating as well my family has used this experience as an opportunity to celebrate and appreciate the hard work of our local farmers. Thank you Lisa & Steve Cooper for all that you grow!

While this may be the end of the harvest, it will not be the end of my writing. I am working a couple of articles with the hopes of having them published in the December issue of the Brooklin Town Crier.

Adventures in Canning - Brooklin Town Crier August 20th Edition

Last summer my garden was overflowing with zucchini. I did everything I could think of to use up the 12 zucchinis I was harvesting a week, I made endless batches of zucchini basil soup, zucchini bread, stir fries with zucchini and chocolate zucchini brownies. It was at that point that my family was starting to dread having me in the kitchen, in fear that I might start making zucchini pancakes, that I had to try something different. I decided to try canning as a way to preserve the zucchini by making zucchini relish. How hard could it be?

It turns out that it was not hard at all. It is important to obtain instructions about how to can, which can be found at the end of this article under resources. I soon realized it is important to have the right tools, which of course I didn’t, but after a few near misses, I went out and purchased a proper canning pot, a canning rack and jar tongs for my next batch. After about an hour, I had twelve jars of beautifully preserved zucchini relish.

Canning provides a number of great benefits which are relevant to today’s lifestyles. People who grow their own food or participate in a CSA Farm share may find that they have a surplus of produce. Home canning allows you to preserve that fresh, home grown flavor from your garden or farm share, for use all year long, and saving money on your grocery bill. In addition, canning locally-grown produce reduces the carbon footprint created by transporting vegetables around the world in the off-seasons. A study by Carnegie Mellon found that 11% of the average American’s household food-related greenhouse gas emissions come from the transportation of foods.

I did not grow up in a house that canned, so I felt like I was on a little adventure as I attempted a time honoured tradition that was done by many generations before me. It made me feel connected to the food and to history. As I began to share my experience with my friends and colleagues, it became apparent that home canning was experiencing a revival. Which makes perfect sense when you think about how more and more people are incorporating elements of a local diet and want to enjoy it throughout the year. While I can’t pretend that I could sustain myself on only zucchini relish over the winter, I did manage to enjoy moments in the winter where it felt like the heat of the summer, as I bit into a dill pickle or scooped my tomato corn salsa.

This summer I plan to expand my inventory to include: vanilla peaches, pumpkin butter, dilled green beans, Herb Seasoned tomatoes, Blueberry jam and apple sauce. So if you are up for a little adventure, you might just find that with a little bit of work, canning can be very rewarding!


Resources:
www.bernardin.ca
https://eatrightontario.ca/en/viewdocument.aspx?id=195
www.canadianliving.com

Great Quote

“We don’t think much about food because we have so much of it. But we should. There is no more essential commodity than food. Without food, people perish, social and political organizations disintegrate, and civilizations collapse.”

– Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Norman Borlaug

Roasted Tomato Sauce

Tomatoes!! I received a number of juicy, large heirloom Cherokee Purple tomatoes in last weeks CSA box. Boy they sure are ugly but so delicious. The roma tomatoes in my garden are also ready to be harvested so in no time flat, I found myself with a lot of tomatoes. I decided to make a Roasted Tomato Sauce that freezes well so that I could enjoy the tomatoes into the winter.



Roasted Tomato Sauce

Ingredients
8 large tomatoes (about 4 pounds)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Head garlic, medium
1 Medium White Onion
1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme
1 Tablespoon fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400F.
Brush shallow baking dish (cookie sheet with sides, or glass/pyrex baking dishes) with olive oil.
Slice tomatoes in half, and place in baking sheet. Place tomato ends skin down.
Peel outer papery skin from garlic head, loosen the cloves and place in one of the pans with the tomatoes. Chop Onion in quarters.
Sprinkle tomatoes with half of herbs.
Place tomatoes in oven. When garlic becomes slightly charred, after about 10 minutes, remove it and return tomatoes to oven for about 15 more minutes, or until they are soft and slightly charred. Turn the baking dishes once or twice during roasting to promote even cooking.
Remove from oven and place on cooling racks.

With a spatula, remove roasted tomatoes and onions to a blender. Add peeled roasted garlic, remaining herbs, and blend for 3-4 seconds.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over pasta or vegetables.

Keeps in the refrigerator for 4 days, or in the freezer for 4 months.