by Denise Levine, U. C. Master Gardener
We had our first taste of rain last week in Napa County, a gentle reminder that summer is drawing to a close.
Many of us feel fall's pull as we try to pick and preserve as much of our harvest as we can. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and tomatillos can be put away for winter meals in many ways.
Today I am making salsa verde with my tomatillos. Also called husk tomatoes, they look like small green tomatoes with a papery skin. I only have three of the purplish "de milpa" variety, but they are very productive, and when I pick all the ripe ones I usually end up with a pretty good basketful. Then I pick a few jalapenos and some sprigs of cilantro and wander back to the house.
Back in the kitchen, I preheat the broiler and put everything but the cilantro on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer, with a few good-sized cloves of unpeeled garlic. I broil the vegetables until they are about half blackened. Then I let everything cool, squeeze the garlic out of its husk and scrape everything into a food processor. A few pulses and it looks like salsa. I add salt and fresh cilantro to taste for salsa, but you can also heat it and thin it with chicken broth for enchilada sauce.
I use this same method with Roma or other tomatoes, slicing them in half and adding some sliced onion. Drizzle with a little olive oil before broiling. The slight caramelization and char give these simple concoctions some depth of flavor. Puree the charred tomatoes and onions and you have pasta sauce.
While I can some things, I like to put a meal's worth of salsa or roasted tomatoes into a freezer zip-lock bag. I squeeze the extra air out of the bag and then seal it. Then I lay it flat on a baking sheet in the freezer until it is frozen, and then stack or "file" the bags in the freezer.
I use this "freeze flat, then stack" method with cooked pumpkin, too. It doesn't take much space, is inexpensive, and since you can see inside the bags, it's easy to see if you are reaching for salsa, pumpkin or pasta sauce.
For those of you with pumpkins or winter squash, the recommended method for preserving it for winter pies and breads has changed since Grandma's time. University of California Cooperative Extension home economist Marciel Klink says the USDA no longer recommends canning pumpkin and other winter squashes. Instead, these vegetables should be cooked and frozen.
The best basic guide for canners is the USDA's "Complete Guide to Home Canning and Preserving" (Second Edition). Home canning is satisfying and economical, but to be successful (and safe), one must follow directions precisely.
If you have been canning for a while, or are rediscovering it, you may need a new book. I was surprised to learn that the USDA had to update its book recently to include new information on food safety and canning.
For those who have invested in pressure canners for meat, fish and non-acid foods, call the U.C. Cooperative Extension office to learn when you can bring your canner in to be calibrated. Like oven thermometers, pressure canners need an adjustment every now and then to operate precisely and safely.
Pickles, preserves, chutneys and relishes are other ways to capture summer's bright flavors for dreary days. At Ramekins, a cooking school in Sonoma, instructors Mary Karlin and Lisa Lavagetto shared six favorite pickle and chutney recipes recently in a hands-on class. They showed novice canners how to preserve Meyer lemons, how to turn their zucchini into bread and butter pickles, and how to preserve watermelon rinds in a homey confection that prompted many participants to share memories of pickles from their childhood and travels.
The 20 eggplant plants I am growing for Master Gardener field trials has challenged me to find new ways to use eggplant. The instructors suggested two wonderful books: "The Joy of Pickling" by Linda Friedrich and "Small Batch Preserving" by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard. Thanks to the miracle of Internet commerce, I had my new books two days later and have been making pickles and chutneys ever since.
Small, round eggplants stuffed with garlic and cayenne and brined in red wine vinegar was my first effort. Then I made a chutney of peaches, sweet red peppers and ginger that didn't make it into a jar but adorned crackers and sharp Cheddar cheese at a party. Next, I made pickled eggplant cubes for antipasto and pickled roasted sweet peppers for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. These two books make me want to try every recipe.
It has been a lovely summer. Why not preserve some of it?