Hey BOS gang, what did you just eat and/or drink?

I agree with @MaxEntropy - take advantage of the summer bounty and make MORE stuff for your freezer!

Tomato Jam - made that about a month ago; 2 small 1/2 cup containers in my freezer. I need to buy a boatload of ripe tomatoes and make more! OR just make tons of tomato puree, freeze in ice cube trays to toss into whatever you’re making down the road.

I make pistachio pesto, since I can’t eat pine nuts that aren’t from the Mediterranean (and those that are are way too expensive to use in pesto). Freeze it in 1/2 cup Rubbermaid containers for later tossing with pasta and grilled chicken.

Corn on the cob - I’ve bought 2 dozen so far, stripped the kernels, frozen in 2-cup increments in Ziploc bags laid flat in my freezer.

Corn Stock - made from the cobs for later use in Chicken Corn Chowder or anything requiring a vegetable-based stock. It’s SO easy: a dozen cobs, broken in half if you want and 1 medium onion, peeled and cut in half, all tossed into a large stockpot, fill water to about 2" from the top, cover, and bring to a boil. Turn down to simmer, let it go for about 2-3 hours, stirring cobs on occasion to move them around in the water (because they float and not all of the corny goodness is being submerged). I usually tip the lid about halfway through as well. Turn heat off, let cool for a bit, cut off the bits of corn at the end of the cobs if you want, and toss the cobs. Strain the liquid from the falling-apart onion, freeze in whatever size containers you want (Ziploc 2 cup twist-lid containers are perfect for this, plus they stack in your freezer).

Other “feed the freezer” meals:

Shepherd’s pie filling - cooked ground lamb, corn, peas, pearl onions, seasonings, and potatoes if you want, with some leftover lamb gravy. Defrost, reheat, top with mashed potatoes (which I also often have too much of, so a quick defrost of those), sprinkle top with paprika or grated cheese, pop in a 350° oven for 30 minutes and dinner.

Pork, Sweet Potato & Apple Cider Stew - this is best with unpasteurized cider, but not everyone can get it. What's For Dinner #79 - the Carly Simon "An-ti-ci-pay-yay-shun" Edition - March 2022 - #222 by LindaWhit

Mac & Ham & Cheese - make ahead, add cheese sauce, and freeze as-is before baking. Defrost and bake for 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Meatballs or meat sauce - Meatballs for a sub sandwich, meat sauce for lasagna, sketti, whatever else you can think of.

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