I Can, You Can......CAN

It is the second day of September. How did that happen? It was just May…and then June. We were complaining about how much rain kept falling and how it still felt chilly and not quite like flip-flop season. Then it was July and the flip flops made a squeaky, sticky sound as they hit the puddles that were still everywhere, as it continued to rain. Then, finally, it was August. The sun at the beach, in the mountains, and on the corner spread rays of sunshine that simply and to the point said: “it is summer!”

Well, it’s the last month of summer now. It is this time of year that people that live in the country begin to talk of canning foods. They plan to can tomatoes or blueberries, in the form of jam, and other stuff that grows in their home gardens or is sold via the Farmer’s market. Foods that they want to savor for the upcoming winter season.

I have been in the field of nutrition and wellness and based, most of the time, in the country for nearly a decade now. Yet, when I hear the word, “can,” it actually brings me back to my city roots and makes me think of one of two things: kick the can—a game I didn’t, but that other kids played; or Delmonte, the brand where most of my vegetables came from when I was growing up. Yes, they were in a CAN.

When in this state of being, somewhere between the uses of the word as a verb or a noun I try to rise above my truth. My truth is that I have no need, want or desire for the verb “can” or the noun “can.” I have decided to focus on the mason jar being half full and talk with anyone out there who might still wish to have some fresh local vegetables in the middle of January, even if they live in the northeast and won’t have year-round access to the beloved Farmer’s Market or Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) …like me.

I know, I know. Being a nutrition counselor I’m supposed to be queen of the can…right? Well: nope. Not me. It’s just not my cup of honey vanilla chamomile tea. However, I’ve got some short cuts that will fit the bill so you, too, can have some fresh local veggies in the cold of the moment, come February, even if the only can-can you are interested in is dancing.

Here, please find, the Cliff Notes version of my attempt at “Canning:”

Garden Ripened Olive Oil

Yes, the man who made the leafy green, spinach a main character in his cartoon strip, Popeye, also loved his beloved Olive Oyl….and, really, don’t we all love her too….olive oil, that is. It can withstand high heat, provide a great source of fat, and fashionably dress any salad or sautéed/roasted vegetable, it is true. Take some garlic tops—otherwise known as “scapes” and let them sit in a jar of olive oil for the next few months. You can do the same thing with onions, and what you’ll have is a beautiful, ready-made, flavored olive oil that will accompany some good looking vegetables come the first snow.

Along the same lines, you can take any of your garden herbs….basil, thyme, sage, etc. and have wonderful infusions of olive oil with the remnants of your summer garden.
Remember that olive oil is a preservative. So, you can put just about anything in there and keep it well. Who needs a freezer when you have a barrel or two of olive oil hanging around?

Vegetable Stock/Broth

You know the tops that are on carrots, fennel, celery and the like? NOT the leafy greens that we know that we can cook and savor. But the veggies whose tops we don’t think twice about chopping off and tossing away? THOSE tops can easily be the base for a vegetable stock/broth that can be the foundation for wonderful soups, stews and/or casseroles all winter long.

Recipe:
-Put tops of veggies in a pot.
-Fill the pot with water
-Toss in some sliced up onions, garlic and a bit of Celtic Sea Salt and pepper
-Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30-45 minutes
-You’ve got the basis for the most simple and delicious stock that you’ll enjoy all winter

True frozen vegetables

You can take any/all of the vegetables that you are getting in your own or Community Supported or Farmer’s Market gardens and simply freeze them. It’s a lot nicer, tastier, and healthier to pull out a ziplocked bag of beet greens, organic corn kernels or zucchini in the middle of the winter, rather than fishing into the back of the grocer’s freezer section to processed dull lifeless veggies. Leafy greens are the easiest to freeze and hold up the best to freezing, so here you go:

-Take your leaves of kale, collards, bok choy and the like.
-Blanch them (Put them in a pot of boiling water for a minute or two and then immediately put them in a pot of cold water to stop the cooking process.)
-Spin them dry in a salad spinner or lay them out to slowly dry.
-Lay them flat in ziplock bags and freeze until needed for use

Give it a whirl. Then when we hit the post-holiday season, I’ll ask you to pull some of your frozen and/or “canned” goods out and we’ll make soup. It’s hard to image now, but we’ll be cold. So, soup will be good.