Harvest Time

Daily thunder storms, weekly grass mowing and steering clear of the mosquitoes signal the end of summer. Our family made a list of all the things we wanted to do this summer, it included field trips, exploring new trials and starting weekly cleaning rituals. Even though we’ve checked most of the things off the list I’m sad that summer is coming to an end. School’s just around the corner and our maple leaves are already showing a hint of red.

End of summer also means it is full on garden harvest time. Our cherry and plum tomatoes are falling over from the weight of the ripe fruit. We have been picking handfuls of tomatoes daily - far more than we want to eat fresh. So I have been exploring ways to save all these sweet tomatoes for later in the year. My friend suggested I freeze the tomatoes - like just pick, wash and freeze…no cutting, cooking, sterilizing, etc. What, you can do that? Mind blown! Turns out you can I and am. I picked up some reusable sealable bags and am storing our fresh tomatoes in the freezer. One blog post I read said that when it is time to use them just defrost a bit and the skins will just slide right off AND that they are less messy to cut when still semi-frozen. Winning!

The girls and I made homemade marinara sauce this week. I found a super simple recipe in “The Homemade Vegan Pantry: The Art of Making Your Own Staples” by Miyoko Schinner that just calls for a little oil, garlic, tomatoes and salt. We turned our 4 pounds of fresh picked tomatoes into a couple cups of yummy marinara. I love this because it makes for a quick lunch option (yo these kids can eat!) and the left over sauce can be frozen.

Late summer is a time of harvest, abundance and a feeling of being full. I am definitely feeling full with the experiences of this summer. What started as just seeds, lists of ideas, and intentions are now fully realized (or perished from nasty pests LOL). How are you savoring the summer harvest?