Ask the Patch Pros: About Cooking and Preserving Fall Vegetables
As summer winds down, the vegetables are ramping up.
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As September starts, it is harvest season for a lot of great vegetables. Farmer's markets and gardens are currently overflowing with summer squash, tomatoes, cucumbers and other goodies.
Unsure what to do with all these veggies? Want to know how to preserve them so you can enjoy this local produce into the winter?
To address these questions and more, we've recruited some pros. In the comments, ask them your questions about recipes and preserving the fall harvest goodness that is growing all around us.
Participating pros are:
Daphne Christensen, Marketing and Community Relations Specialist, Whole Foods Market, West Des Moines.
Gabriela Weir, Personal Chef, of Chef Gaby Personal Chefs & Private Functions, Iowa City.
Dave Burt, Burt Family Food Services, chef and local food advocate, Iowa City.
Rachel Morey Flynn, Linn and Johnson County cooking instructor.
Beth Dalbey
7:29 am on Wednesday, September 5, 2012
I'm looking or some great squash recipes – soups, main dishes, even desserts. Can anyone help?
Daphne Christensen
12:15 pm on Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Here's a recipe for Whole Foods Market's Butternut Squash and Macaroni Casserole http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2349 be sure to check out some of the tips and variations in the comments posted!
Daphne Christensen
12:15 pm on Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Whole Foods Market offers a great online catalog of recipes from traditional favorites, to the unique and specialty. Here's a link to our Classic Butternut Squash Soup: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/classic-butternut-squash-soup
Rachel Morey Flynn
6:17 pm on Wednesday, September 5, 2012
If you run out of ways to eat it while it's in season, roast it, scoop out the flesh and freeze it! What a wonderful addition to soups in January!
Alison Gowans
9:52 am on Thursday, September 6, 2012
Rachel - I've been blanching my squash before freezing. Do you think that's necessary?
Rachel Morey Flynn
8:36 pm on Thursday, September 6, 2012
Alison- Blanching before freezing helps with preservation. It's not done for safety reasons, so it's optional. I like to cube and roast my summer squash then freeze it. I add it to soups or eat it over rice. If you pack it into bags raw and freeze it, you may not be happy with the quality a few months later.
Alison Gowans
8:59 pm on Thursday, September 6, 2012
Rachel (or anyone) - any other veggies you recommend blanching before freezing? I've also been freezing a lot of green beans, but I haven't done anything to them first.
Joshua Collins
9:29 am on Friday, September 7, 2012
Alison, broccoli is another easy blanche & freeze. We grew a TON of broccoli on our produce farm this year so needless to say I have a freezer full. The flavor is still incredible!
Jill
9:36 am on Wednesday, September 5, 2012
I want to can/preserve 1. roasted red peppers; 2. sauteed zucchini w/garlic & olive oil. What's the best way to do this?
Rachel Morey Flynn
6:09 pm on Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Hi Jill-Unless you are willing to use a pressure cooker as a canning method, your best bet is going to be freezing both the zucchini and red peppers. I can a lot of produce, but freeze both roasted peppers and zucchini because they seem to do so well that way.
Jessica Miller
9:55 am on Wednesday, September 5, 2012
I love chopping up squash and sauteing it in a pan of olive oil and garlic. I'm not an expert, but it's good.
Alison Gowans
10:06 am on Wednesday, September 5, 2012
I have a farm share for the first time this year, and I have more cucumbers than I know what to do with. Have any creative things to do with cucumbers?
Daphne Christensen
12:17 pm on Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Hi Alison! Check out some of the ideas we have at Whole Foods Market for putting those cucumbers to the taste bud test! http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/search/cucumber
Chef Gaby
9:24 pm on Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Hi Alison! I love to make cold soup with cucumbers! It is fun, easy and delicious! Peel, seed and cube cucumbers and blend (in either a blender or with an immersion blender) with some heavy cream, mint, and lime juice. All to taste, have fun with it! You can add avocados to make it creamier. If you want to get super fancy, serve it with creme fraiche or some goat cheese.
I also love sliced cucumbers soaked in rice vinegar and sesame oil. Super simple!
aaron french
12:47 pm on Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Pros/Cons of boiling, blanching then taking skins off tomatoes before freezing (in ziplocs) for winter?
Rachel Morey Flynn
6:11 pm on Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Hi Aaron- Last year, we had so many tomatoes that I just cored and froze them whole in gallon sized ziploc bags. I found out that if you let them thaw in a bowl for a few hours at room temperature, the skins just slip right off. It's the easiest, quickest way to preserve tomatoes. I have always blanched and peeled them in the past, but not any more! You'll be so happy for that Iowa-grown tomato flavor in the deep winter!
Stephen Schmidt
5:09 pm on Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Hello, I am interested in eating more locally grown food. What sort of fruits and vegetables should I look for in particular that will be in season in the next few months?
Chef Gaby
9:18 pm on Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Hi Stephen - Like Rachel mentioned below, tomatoes are in peak season right now. I will be teaching an ALL-tomato class this coming Tuesday, September 11 at Edgewood Hy-vee in Cedar Rapids. "You say tomato, I say gazpacho!..." Canning is a great way to utilize tomatoes, but stepping outside the box a little bit can be a fun adventure! I love to make roasted tomato gazpacho and frying green tomatoes. Here's the info on my group class if you or anybody is interested:
http://www.hy-vee.com/stores/calendar/detail.aspx?m=9&y=2012&event=44841&s=234
Daphne Christensen
11:18 am on Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Hi Stephen! Whole Foods Market is celebrating ORGANIC GRAPES this month. There is no month like September for grapes; they've been on the vine all summer and are now at their peak picking point for optimal flavor!
Rachel Morey Flynn
6:15 pm on Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Hi Stephen-It's Tomato Time! Now is the time to try all the varieties of heirloom tomatoes. We grow purple Russian varieties, an Amish yellow, and my personal favorite; the Green Zebra. You can find many varieties at the farmers market right now. It's been a great year for green beans, too. We eat them steamed with garlic and salt. You can't go wrong with anything you buy locally right now. It's a good time of year to get interested in seasonal eating!
Jody Gifford
11:04 pm on Wednesday, September 5, 2012
What's the shelf life for fall veggies once they've been picked? There's only so much freezer space. I'm just wondering how long my tomatoes, squash and zucchini, in particular will keep until we can get around to eating them.
Rachel Morey Flynn
9:10 am on Thursday, September 6, 2012
Hi Jody-Tomatoes should be kept on a plate, stem side down, in a single layer, out of direct sunlight, at room temperature. You can keep zucchini in the fridge. Squash is OK at room temperature. If you grew your produce yourself, of purchased it at a farmers market, the shelf life is usually much longer than grocery store produce. There's really no way to know when the stuff from the grocery store was harvested. My heirloom tomatoes keep only a few days past the point when they are perfectly ripe. Zucchini lasts 5-6 days, and squash (depending on the type) seems to have the longest shelf life. I try to use mine within a week. Hope that answers your question!
Alison Gowans
9:55 am on Thursday, September 6, 2012
I know tomatoes will last longer in the fridge, but I've read that will degrade their flavor. Do you know if this is true?
Rachel Morey Flynn
1:55 pm on Thursday, September 6, 2012
Heirloom tomatoes can't handle the fridge. Their texture will change--not for the better! Grocery store tomatoes have thicker skins, but still should be kept at room temperature. A tomato is always best eaten fresh. If you really need to store them, go for cool, dry, and dark. But not refrigerated!