A well-stocked freezer is a thing of beauty

A trip to the warehouse club can be a dangerous thing if you own a chest freezer.  One moment you’re innocently walking down an aisle buying a package of toilet paper, and the next thing you know– you have a 48-pack of mini quiche sitting in your deep freezer.  How long has it been there? When did you even buy it?!?! And who will take the blame when it’s sitting there taking up space two years from now? It’s time to shape up that freezer and ship out what you know you’ll never eat.

I’m proud to say that our deep freezer was one of the most exciting purchases during my foray into domesticity.  Visions of well-labeled canisters of homemade soup, packets of meat, and frozen vegetables danced in my head. Never again would I need to worry about what to make for dinner– it would all be sitting in my freezer just waiting to be defrosted. However, in order to have dinner at your fingertips, you’ve gotta have the basics and a little something exciting to make you actually WANT to cook dinner.

To kick things off in this season of snow and ice, I present to you Kathleen’s list of Top Five Items to Get in your Freezer Right Now! If you have these on hand, you’ll never end up reaching for that take-out menu.  I swear by all five of the following items, and for the record– they’re all sitting in my chest freezer at this very moment.

5.  Spinach

We all know the story– the dark greens are good for us. If you don’t have it right now, get yourself one of those frozen spinach blocks (or two) and plop them into your freezer. Why? Aside from the nutritional benefits, spinach will liven up and make a one-note dish more colorful. Just defrost for a few minutes, squeeze out as much water as possible, and add it to soups, jarred pasta sauce, and dips. Mix it with ricotta and bam! You’ve got the filling for stuffed shells or cannelloni.  Mix with sour cream and mayo for a great dip. You could even just serve it warm as a side dish (but we know you’re not going to do that).

*Extra Credit:  Make some room in your freezer for those frozen basil cubes and pesto you made at the end of this summer.

4. Frozen cheese-filled tortellini

If you’re feeling ambitious, you could sit down one evening and crank out some handmade filled pasta. Or you could be like me– wanting to boil water and be done with it.  For as simple as it is, frozen tortellini is a grand staple. Sauted lightly with olive oil and that frozen spinach (#5), it’s a simple and satisfying dinner. Thrown into a soup or broth, and you’ve got something that will easily stave off a winter chill. Marinate some overnight in salad dressing and skewer with tomato and mozzarella cubes– and you have a simple and elegant appetizer. As an added bonus, you’ll always have something on hand to whip up for that surprise vegetarian dinner guest or picky nephew. If you’re feeling really experimental, try topping a salad with chilled, cooked tortellini instead of croutons.  I’m a fan.

*Extra credit:  If you can find frozen pumpkin ravioli, stock up. It’s one of those “impress your friends with an easy entree” items.  Saute with brown butter and sage, add a little crumbled Italian sausage (#2), and you’re good to go.

3. Frozen Peas or Corn

Don’t laugh.  It’s a sad day indeed when I realize that we’re out of frozen peas.  I’ll let you check out Beth’s amazing corn salsa if you need extra reason to stock up on some kernels.  Aside from instant faux ice packs when you’ve got a splitting headache, these two veggies are incredibly versatile when you’re looking to spice up your dinner. Just thaw (no need to boil) and add to your dinner salad when all you have is a head of iceberg. Add peas to alfredo or to my incredible artery-clogging, bacon-tastic carbonara (coming soon to DP!) for a splash of color.  Puree with some salt and pepper for an easy dip.

*Extra credit:  We also keep a stock of frozen edamame (soybeans), both shelled and unshelled.  The shelled ones just need a little hot water and salt to make a great appetizer or pea replacement.

2. Italian sausage

Everyone has frozen ground beef in their freezer– I think it might even be issued with the purchase of a chest freezer.  But how inspiring are those little balls of freezer-burned beef? Not very.  I like to purchase Italian sausage (still in casings) and freeze portioned packets of two links each. Once defrosted, it’s easy to pull the casing off, and you’ve got a great way to spice up your dinner. Try mixing in Italian sausage with ground beef for burgers or meatballs. Brown some and add to your frozen tortellini (#4).  Or just keep in the casing and fire up the grill.  I normally have both mild and spicy links on hand for variety.

*Extra credit: This might sound a little lame coming from someone who likes to cook, but do yourself a favor and buy frozen mini meatballs (I like the ground turkey ones, myself). Yes, it’s lazy. However, knowing all you have to do is heat them and serve gives you a lot of options in the kitchen. Add to pasta for an easy dinner. Add to a broth with a few noodles for a soup. Add some sauce and you’ve got a sandwich, or throw into a slow cooker for an easy party appetizer.

and for my absolute staple in the freezer….. (drumroll, please)

1. Bacon!

To know bacon is to love bacon– at least when it comes to adding flavor and variety to your cooking repertoire.  Perhaps you already have the beloved breakfast meat in your freezer, so I’ll be a little more specific. During your next grocery trip, pick up a package or two and immediately slice each 1lb slab into four chunks (each which conveniently fit well in a quart freezer bag).  The next time you’re looking for a bit of extra flavor, pull out a bag. This amount of bacon easily defrosts right in the pan, and you’re already on your way to a fancy mac ‘n’ cheese or rich carbonara.  I’ll often pull out a package just for an easy breakfast addition or something extra to throw into a dip. My personal favorite is to fry up a little bacon, and use some of the drippings to saute fresh brussel sprouts.  I’ve even used it to infuse vodka and create a surprising brownie– but those are recipes for sharing on another day.

*Extra credit: If you’re feeling really adventurous, pick up a small package of pork belly.  This can be just as easily diced up and added to give a little more heft to a pasta or really liven up a salad. And contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be on a competitive cooking show in order to cook with this luscious ingredient.

What food items do you lean on when it comes to heating up dinner ideas? We want to hear! In the meantime, happy defrosting!

It’s that time of the year again. Apple festivals every weekend, zinnias are in full bloom, and pumpkin-flavored everything.  Autumn is my favorite season of the year, but with it comes one very sad event– the end of the herb garden.  For those responsible enough to pot up their herb plants and actually keep them watered all winter, stop reading here. But for the rest of us– the good-intentioned houseplant killers of the world, I come bringing good news. You can enjoy the amazing flavors of your herb garden all winter long without having to buy one of those automatic watering thingies.

A brief suggestion on your herb gardens– if your plants are in pots, consider planting them in the ground where they might have a chance of surviving the winter (with the help of a little mulch). Potted herbs in winter= dead plants. The same goes for raised-bed gardens, unless you can get a serious amount of mulch/leaves to protect the plants.  Finally, remember that you can’t fight nature. Some plants weather the winter just fine– sage, thyme, and chives are a few examples. That lovely basil plant, on the other hand, is done at the end of the year.

Now, on to the flavor saving…

This isn’t rocket science. When you want to keep something preserved, you often freeze it or dry it. Canning, of course, comes in very handy for that huge cucumber crop, but it takes time and money. What I am suggesting here will take a few things you hopefully already have on hand: a few paper lunch bags and an ice cube tray or two.

This year,  I ended up with a huge amount of basil. My husband hoped for basil bushes, but by the end of the season, the plants are taller than me and still going strong. I know that in mid-December, my once-beautiful bushes will be dead, and I’ll be longing for the taste of fresh pesto. Beth already posted a fantastic fresh pesto recipe here. If you’re not up for making several batches of pesto right now, what I suggest is freezing chopped up basil leaves in a few ice cube trays. Once they’re frozen, you can pop them out into bags and store them all winter. Drop a cube or two into your tomato sauce, or defrost and make pesto when there’s snow on the ground!

This year, I spent a Saturday afternoon plucking Genovese and Thai basil leaves and creating one basil-rific mess in our kitchen.  I used my handy chopper (food processor would work fine too) and chopped the basil. Then, I distributed it into ice cube trays and called it a day.

If you’re feeling really advanced, you might want to consider adding a bit of water to the mixture, letting it sit, and freezing what is in essence basil water. Basil-scented ice cubes could be a great addition to a Sunday brunch Bloody Mary! The same could easily be applied to oregano or cilantro.

On to drying out those plentiful herbs. The key to drying out herbs for use throughout the winter is making sure there is proper air ventilation during the drying process. Not enough air, and you’ll end up with some lovely moldy leaves.

Grab a brown paper lunch bag and use a hole punch to make several holes in the bag for air circulation. Select herbs from your garden, clean them and dry them as much as possible. Throw them in and roll down the top. You’re done! Depending on temperature, and the amount you’re drying, you’ll soon be set with fresh dried herbs. Don’t forget to store them in an air-tight container once they’re ready for use. I also highly suggest dicing chives BEFORE going into the bag– it makes for very easy storage and portioning later.

So if you are looking longingly at your basil and oregano and wondering how much longer they’ll be around this year, dry those tears and get to saving that flavor!

Last summer, I started a small container garden that consisted of four basil plants. I thought it would be fun to have fresh basil available to top pizzas, pasta salads and other summer dishes. With very little attention from me, my basil grew like a weed. So much so, that I named it “my basil forest.” Since these massive plants yielded more leaves than I could ever hope to chiffonade and toss atop a favorite dish, I started making pesto.

I consulted Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything to learn how to make pesto. Reading his “Basics of Pesto” section, I learned that pesto is a traditional method of preserving herbs (not just basil!) in oil. Pesto can be frozen, without cheese, for several months or stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks (use your discretion).

Making pesto is an amazingly simple process. With five ingredients and a food processor, you can have bright, freshly-made pesto in a matter of minutes.

Pesto
Yields about 1 cup

2 loosely packed cups of basil leaves
salt to taste
1/2 – 2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp pine nuts or walnuts
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. lightly toast the nuts in a dry skillet.
2. Rinse and dry the basil leaves, removing any large stems.
3. Place the basil, salt, garlic, nuts and about 1/2 of the olive oil in the work bowl of a food processor or blender.
4. Process the mixture, scraping down the sides occasionally to ensure that all of the ingredients are mixed uniformly.
5. Gradually add the rest of the olive oil. If you prefer a thinner pesto, add additional olive oil.
6. If cheese is desired, stir in by hand just before serving.

Quick and easy comfort food does not have to be plain! This isn’t much of a recipe, but it’s a fun twist on classic grilled cheese. My friend Carolyn served this to me once during a mid-week lunch date, and I was hooked!

Grab your favorite hearty bread (Arnold’s Oatnut or 9 Grain are staples in my household) and apply butter to one side and slather pesto to the other. Sandwich a hearty slice of mozzarella between the two slices, grill on the stove and serve.

My cousin Sue regularly brings these pesto pinwheel appetizers to family gatherings. These appetizers are light and flaky and have a delicious pesto and Parmesan flavor. They’re best when served warm. However, they can be made ahead of time and reheated immediately before serving.

Pesto Pinwheels

Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets (package of 2)
7 oz. container of pesto
Grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
water

1. Let pastry sheets thaw until soft, then roll out flat.
2. Spread 1/2 of the pesto onto each sheet.
3. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over pesto.
4. Roll pastry sheet up, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.
5. Preheat oven to 350
6. Slice rolled pastry sheet in 1/4 inch slices.
7. Place slices on baking sheet, about 1 inch apart.
8. Mix lightly beaten egg with a small amount of water to make an egg wash.
9. Brush slices with egg wash.
10. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until pastry starts to brown.