megram - Index

megram - magazine - Index

If you could travel back in time and peek through the window
of any pioneer home at this time of year, chances are
you would see the homeowners putting food by for winter
use. They might be making pickles, drying apples or canning
vegetables and fruit. Their very survival through the
cold winter months depended on these autumn rituals.
Today, the urgency to preserve the fall harvest isn’t
there, but the inclination to do so still survives in many
households. There are many reasons for preserving the harvest,
including fresh flavour, maximum nutrient retention,
no chemical preservatives and lower seasonal prices. The
current emphasis on eating local puts added importance to
keeping the harvest.
Instead of canning and pickling, we are more likely to
freeze our fruit and vegetables, which is certainly a simpler
solution. If we do prepare pickles or preserves, we do so in
small batches. Here are a few ideas for foods you can prepare
easily and freeze to use later in the year. They feature
onions, tomatoes and carrots, all locally grown and currently
available at farmers’ markets in and around Ottawa.
Prepare Caramelized Onions, then freeze them in small
containers or freezer bags to defrost and use in the following
ways:
Homemade Pizza: Replace the tomato sauce with
caramelized onions. Add your favourite toppings and perhaps
Swiss, feta or Gouda cheese instead of mozzarella.
Serve as a main course or cut into smaller wedges as appetizer
bites.
Mashed Potatoes: Stir into hot mashed potatoes to taste.
Add sour cream or your favourite cheese to taste.
Appetizer Brie: Spread on top of a small round brie
cheese. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts if desired. Place on
a heat-proof serving dish and heat in the oven or microwave
just until warm and puffed.
Burger Topping: Heat and spoon onto freshly grilled
beef, lamb or chicken burgers.
Onion Soup: Replace raw sliced onions with caramelized
onions in your classic onion soup recipe.
Keep several bags of Roasted Tomatoes handy as delicious
additions to many dishes, including:
Pasta Sauce: Enrich the flavour of homemade tomato
sauce by adding slivered roasted tomatoes.
Frittata: Sliver and add to other frittata vegetables that
have been cooked to crisp-tender.
Appetizer: Cut into bite-size pieces and serve as part of an
antipasto platter. They’re also great as a topping for cheese
on crackers or baguette slices.
Toppings: Top your favourite burgers, subs or sandwich-
es with warm or cool roasted tomatoes.
Pizza: They’re a tasty topping for homemade pizza, and
they add special flavour to purchased pizza.
Carrots don’t have to be frozen; they keep well in a cold
place for several weeks or even months. Remove the green
leafy tops and store in plastic bags so they don’t dry out.
Grate them into soups, sauces, wraps, omelettes and salads.
Chop them into soups, stir-fries and stews.
Sweeten them up in muffins, cakes and cupcakes. It’s
always nice to have home baking in the freezer for holidays
and overnight guests.
There are many books and websites with information
about how to prepare other fall vegetables. Stock up now
and enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of your labour all winter
long.
OVEN-ROASTED TOMATOES
Roma tomatoes, washed, quartered lengthwise,
seeded
salt and pepper
icing sugar
minced fresh garlic
dried Italian herb mix (basil, oregano, thyme
and rosemary)
extra virgin olive oil
1Arrange tomato quarters cut side up on baking sheet.
Sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper, icing sugar, minced
garlic and herbs. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Roast in 190ºC
(375ºF) oven for one hour. Baste with pan juices. Roast 30
minutes to one hour more or until tomatoes are soft and
slightly shrivelled.
2Remove from oven. Transfer tomatoes to rack to cool
completely.
3Store tomatoes and pan juices in refrigerator in an airtight
container for up to five days. To freeze, arrange
tomatoes in a single layer on a tray and freeze until firm.
Transfer to freezer bag or container, add reserved pan juices
if desired, label and freeze for up to six months.
4 To use, defrost and chop to add to pasta sauces and
soups. Serve as an appetizer on crackers or crusty bread.
Tuck into your favourite sandwich or burger. Use as a pizza
or bruschetta topping. Or try the following:
Ottawa Page 3 Due West/Due East Magazine • Fall 2008