Getting Ready For Frost

This weekend will mark our first frost, if the weather predictions are correct. I have spent much of the morning and into the early afternoon pulling as much out of the garden as we have room for. The excess will be given to family and friends to enjoy.

Jalapeno, Hungarian and sweet peppers, purple cabbage, spaghetti squash, watermelon, zucchini, beef steak, roma and cherry tomatoes & onions for veggies & fruit.

Sage, Thyme, Chives & raspberry leaves to be dried. We are going to attempt to re-pot my oldest beloved Basil plant and bring it in for the winter. So far, we already have parsley, rosemary and oregano keeping cozy warm in our laundry room. It has a nice large window, so we are hoping to keep them going into the winter months as long as possible.

I have heard from friends, many recipes to do with green tomatoes, so I want to give some of them a try, time permitting. We have pounds upon pounds of them! The plants didn't stop bearing fruit, as did the raspberries. It would be heart-breaking to not do something with them. I'm sure the cows would be happy though! What are some fav recipes of yours? Fried green tomatoes anyone?

Since my husband is a big hot salsa fan, I'm sure he will make some just for starters and see how it goes. I will post the recipe and results when finished.

For now, though, I think most of the tomatos will end up in the freezer. This is a very fast and easy way to process them, when your short on time. From there, you can still make pasta sauces, salsa, soups, you name it. Wash tomatos thoroughly, place single-layered into freezer bags, and voila!

I actually find this way easier, than canning pasta sauce rought from the start. I haven;t quite found the right recipe that everyone in the family can agree on. Our favorite way to use them is slowly simmering them with your usualy italian spices and placing in a 9x13 dish with homemade meatballs to slowly cook in the oven. Nothing fancy required. The simplist ingredients make the best meals. Truth.

Happy harvesting and canning, if that's what you have ahead of you right now! Don't forget to drop me a line and let me know what your up to, I would love to share stories!