Seasons by the Sea: Summer Flavors for Winter Days

Your mind may already be turning to pumpkins and apples this time of year (or mush, depending on how busy your summer was), but it’s time to get to work. If you want to save some of the glorious corn, tomatoes, herbs, and more to enjoy throughout the winter, you need to get cracking. 

Gather up your plastic containers and recycled jars and hit the farm stands with a vengeance.

I am not an expert at canning, but I am very industrious when it comes to freezing. And there is no greater pleasure than to pull out a Ziploc bag of frozen, blanched corn kernels to turn into a chowder in the middle of February. 

By this time of year, I have tried numerous kinds of corn from various locations. Some of the best has been from the Daytons’ farm stand at the corner of Stephen Hand’s Path and Route 114 in East Hampton. I buy three or four dozen ears, then shuck and blanch them. After cutting off the cob I pack them into Ziploc baggies and freeze them. They will come out a bit watery after defrosting, but the flavor of pure sunshine remains. (Note to self: Buy one of those vacuum sealers.). From there I make a simple sauté of onions, peppers, and mix the corn in at the last minute. 

With large tomatoes I make marinara sauce. Since I don’t have a food mill, I seed and peel them first and leave it chunky. The best way to peel tomatoes, especially large quantities, is to cut a small, very shallow cross through the skin and drop them into boiling water for about 20 to 30 seconds. After that, the skins will slide right off. 

Because they are so sweet, I also like to roast the smaller red and orange cherry tomatoes with some whole cloves of peeled garlic, olive oil, and salt. I toss them around with the oil and seasonings, and then spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet. I bake them at 350 degrees until most have gotten puckery and wilted, stirring occasionally. Once cool, I pack into plastic tubs and freeze. These are delicious on top of any baked white fish or in a simple salad of arugula and toasted pecans with a honey vinaigrette. I purposely leave out herbs such as basil, thyme, or rosemary, because I prefer to introduce the fresh herbs when I prepare the dish and tailor it accordingly.

And what about all those herbs flourishing in your garden? If you are lucky enough to have lots of basil, make pesto and either freeze it in ice cube trays for small amounts to add to vegetable soup or use half-pint plastic containers. I leave out the cheese and nuts so the pesto is just pure basil, garlic, and olive oil. If you blanch the basil leaves first, they will retain their glorious green hue forever. 

There’s really no point in freezing or drying parsley, chives, or cilantro. But oilier herbs such as rosemary, thyme, and sage are perfect for drying. I spread them out on cookie sheets and shove them under the bed of the guest room until ready to stem and place in jars. I have also had great luck with drying peppermint leaves and lemon verbena for teas. They don’t last forever, but they will certainly last one winter.

Another way to save the flavors of summer is to make a vegetable tian. Layer sliced potatoes, onions, zucchini, and tomatoes in a single layer each, adding salt and pepper and chopped thyme leaves. Drizzle with olive oil, bake, cool, and then freeze. You can top it with shredded Gruyere or Parmesan cheese when you reheat it. The beauty of this dish is that you can use less-than-perfectly-ripe tomatoes and those zucchinis that got away from you and grew into billy clubs.

Some people are fans of dehydrating fruits and vegetables, but this can be tricky without a dehydrator. You must cut the chosen items in uniform, extra-thin slices, which is best done with a mandoline. If you have a convection oven setting on your oven, which blows air around, ensuring even drying, then you could try it that way. But you will be chained to the kitchen for six to eight hours if you go this route.

I admire folks who can and preserve and pickle, but I have no aptitude for these methods. I cheat by buying these vacuum-sealed-by-professionals items at Balsam Farms and other farm stands and markets.

All of these methods require time and attention, not to mention picking, shopping, washing, chopping, and cooking. But the rewards mid-winter will make you happy. Heck, just seeing all these summer goodies in the freezer makes me smile. I see the frozen striped bass filets next to the corn niblets next to the cherry tomatoes, and I can see a full menu with black olives and lemon slices added to the tomatoes to top the fish. The corn can be mixed into some mashed potatoes to go alongside. Finish this off with the Briermere Farm raspberry peach pie I bought a few weeks ago, and it won’t seem so bad that soon our sun will be setting at (gulp!) 4:30 in the afternoon.

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