Saturday, August 24, 2013

Surplus Harvest? No Problem

Mid August produces so much fruits and veggies. Between the garden and the farmer's markets, we;re over inundated with tomatoes and plums, corn and berries. No problem . Surplus is always a plus. You can turn any harvest, no matter how big - into something tasty .

Right now tomatoes are literally falling off the vine. Probably every backyard farmer has a bumper crop of them right now , with the question of what to do. One of the easiest and most traditional ways is turning them into a sauce. The best part of this is that sauce can be frozen and used as we ease into fall. We can still taste summer in a bowl of pasta  even on a chilly autumn day .Corn is another veggie in abundance right now. Scrape off the kernels off and you can make either creamed corn or a yummy corn chowder (which can also be frozen). Zucchini  can be be stuffed or  sliced and fried in a tempura batter for a tasty poolside appetizer.

Fruits are also at their high season. There are still some strawberries around and we're also getting into the second raspberry season. Easily toss these into salads for color and a different flavor.If you're good at jam making, then try jams. Not only are they tasty but make nice holiday gifts later on.Peaches and nectarines can be pureed and made into a base for a fresh fruity sorbet or ice cream, The same with plums although you could also turn them into a jam as well,. Any fruit can also be juiced to make a healthy drink as well with the mash being used for compost or a base for different dessert dishes.

Don't [panic when you have too many fruits or veggies. They can easily be turned into a variety of dishes and drinks.It's always easy to use up any surplus harvest.