Hitting into the Freezer (begun mid-January) - (photos)

Well, it's official, I have started using foods in the big freezer with regularity now. I almost hated to do it! I often fail to use things I am saving or have deemed special in some way or am saving for a special occasion because I somehow feel they are so special that I can't or shouldn't use them; or I remove them from my daily routine in such a way that it never occurs to me to use them. With this in mind, I had not been able to bring myself to use anything in the freezer yet! Well, I'd used a few things that I could easily replace any time of year (meats for example), but I had not opened one package of green beans, tomato puree, or any other produce.THE FREEZER - LATE JANUARY

I had used one package of blueberries and another of strawberries for Neva's birthday celebration in October and a few times I used some of the frozen vegetable broth I'd made in fall but I really hadn't brought myself to use anything else. However, our supply of "fresh" vegetables that remained in the bottom of my fridge is starting to wane. I still have a few cabbages and root veggies such as beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips, etc. but most have now been used and I was starting to miss green things (green veggies are my personal favorite and usually a part of every day).
THAWING AND HEATING VEGGIE SOUP
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Since writing the above about three weeks ago, we've used green beans, yellow beans, carrots, broths and soups, zuchinni (pre-grated and measured to make 2 loaves of bread per package), yellow squash, musk mellon, strawberries, raspberries, meat, butter, tomato puree, corn, par-baked bread, pre-made (by me) spinach pizza, lambs quarters (thanks Dianne!), asparagus, and Swiss chard (ours). We've also enjoyed some rice from California and Alaskan salmon - both gifts from family friends that come from beyond 100 miles but were procured while our friends were in those states (the salmon was actually caught by one of them).
A SPECIAL DINNER (IT FOLLOWS THE RULES BUT ISN'T ENTIRELY LOCAL - blogger turned several of my photos and I don't know how to right them)

Since fall, we've had no reservations about using the food in our cellar including pumpkins and other squash, potatoes (from our garden), onions, beets (also from our garden), cabbage (ours), and Brussels sprouts. We've also been enjoying all of the jams/jellies made over the course of the summer, jars of apple and tomato sauce, dry beans, apples, dried fruit, salsa, and some of the relishes, pickles, and spiced cabbage I canned.
"SHOPPING" IN THE ROOT CELLAR - BEETS, POTATOES, ONIONS, SWEET PICKLES, AND CORN RELISH

When the winter began in earnest and it became clear I would get no more easy food (our last CSA share came the last week in November) I was a little worried that we had not put away enough food to get us through to the first farmers' markets and harvest of our own in April. However, now that we've come through January and we still have a mostly full freezer, two windows full of herbs, and a well-stocked root cellar I no longer fear that we will run out. In fact, I am starting to wonder how much we'll have left!
BEFORE - VEG AND MEAT FROM THE FREEZER


AFTER - SWISS CHARD SAUTEED WITH BUTTER AND GARLIC (my garden and Bushel and Peck's Local Market, Beloit, WI), STEAMED YELLOW FRENCH BEANS (Pine Row Farm, Roscoe), ITALIAN SAUSAGE (Open Range Products, Pecatonica and Eickman's Processing, Seward) WITH HONEY MUSTARD (Ed's Honeybees, Rockford and mustard made in Janesville, WI)