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Local all year long, and cake too!

locally grown

Eating local, as much as possible, all year long is my goal. But I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not able to give up coffee, vanilla, bananas, wine, etc, etc, etc… But I can do better by storing local produce when it is available at its best here in Wisconsin. That means that two weeks ago I froze 30 pounds of local strawberries, and this week I froze a batch of garlic scape pesto. This kind of preserving can be done in large batches like I do over labor day weekend when I can tomatoes or it can be done in small batches like I do throughout the summer when the CSA provides more of something than we can possibly eat.

local strawberries

One summer it was broccoli…every week our CSA share had another head of broccoli and frankly I couldn’t take it anymore. So I froze it and we had broccoli for soups and sides throughout the winter. Carrots were abundant one year and I ended up making batches of chipotle carrot soup and freezing it in quart jars. It was so welcome in the winter that I plan to buy local carrots at the market this year just in case our CSA doesn’t have an odd abundance of them again. Sure it all takes more time, thought, and effort than just buying a bag of frozen produce at the store in the winter, but it is so satisfying to know that your food was bought locally…and here in Wisconsin it is the only way to eat a little local in the winter.

So here are a few tips to help you begin freezing, pickling, and canning your local produce. I’ll write on this topic often throughout the summer and I’ll post instructions and tips for specific produce as it appears in the market.

Last week I saw green beans at the market and they were perfect for freezing. You want to select long, skinny beans that have a good snap to them. Snap off their stem heads, wash them, and pat them dry. Then bag them into ziplocs in the size you will use the most. Place these in your freezer and you’re done. The less contact the beans have with water the better your end product will be. In the past I always blanched the beans first, that’s what my mom did, so I did too. But I read in The Busy Person’s Guide to Preserving Food by Janet Chadwick that it isn’t necessary.

It’s a good idea to have your supplies on hand so you can make small batches whenever it’s convenient. Stock up on ziploc bags, canning jars, pickling salt, white vinegar, cider vinegar, pickling spices, and fresh herbs. For canning I use a steam bath canner rather than a water bath canner. The difference in time and convenience is huge and you’ll really appreciate it once you get going. It’s also a good idea to scout out farmers who can supply you with the produce you need. My CSA supplies some; but to get us through the winter I also go to produce farms like the Country Bumpkin shown in the top photos.

yogurt cake and berries

Life around here has been quiet this week. GH is in Chicago for a class, the boys have been eating leftovers and sandwiches, and I had a failed encounter with a trout that tasted like lake water…bleah! I did make this lovely cake for the boys, I’m sure you’ve seen it on other blogs as it has made the rounds, but here it is just the same. It is so quick, easy, and simple that I have made two more since my first one earlier this week. I think it will go especially well with strawberries and ice cream. BTW…I’ve included measurements but I’ve found you can be rather imprecise with this cake and it still turns out well.

French yogurt cake
1/2 c plain yogurt
1 c sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup canola or olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

Preheat oven to 350ยบ. Butter your cake pan well.

Mix the yogurt, eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Add the flour and baking powder and mix well. Pour into the pan, and bake for 25 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

Let it cool for 10 minutes and then turn out of the pan. Let it cool more before slicing.

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June 22, 2007 | Filed Under Local, Wisconsin, baking, ethical eating, favorite products, food, food storage tips, quick and easy, recipe, sweets, vegetable, vermont Valley CSA 

comments

13 Responses to “Local all year long, and cake too!”

  1. Lydia on June 22nd, 2007

    What a lovely yogurt cake, with those proud strawberries perched on top! Will definitely try this in one of my bundt pans.

  2. vanessa on June 22nd, 2007

    Hi Lydia, it does look pretty…I like the bundt even though it isn’t very big. Thanks for stopping by.

  3. Erika on June 23rd, 2007

    Vanessa, I can’t wait to read more about putting food by for the winter. Last year I bought a 50# bag of carrots and peeled, sliced, blanched and froze them. We enjoyed every last carrot- right up to a few weeks ago.

    Those green beans that aren’t blanched are interesting! The don’t suffer texturally?

  4. Katiez on June 23rd, 2007

    When we moved here I bought a freezer just for vegetables. It’s so much easier than canning – I freeze everything from my garden…except the dill pickles. I tried, didn’t work; those I still can (or bottle, as they say here)

  5. vanessa on June 23rd, 2007

    Erika, I’ve not yet tried this technique but the book says the texture is better.

    Katiez, I too freeze almost everything. I still can tomatoes because I like them that way and I do them raw-pack so they’re pretty easy. Pickles I make throughout the summer and I love them.

  6. Deborah Dowd on June 23rd, 2007

    I have a foodsaver that is great for storing and freezing produce when its in season. Even though it is marketed in an infomercial, it is incredibly useful, storing things without risk of freezer burn and extending our local eating into the fall and winter!

  7. links for 2007-06-24 « linksnstuff on June 26th, 2007

    [...] French Yogurt Cake (tags: recipe baking cake yogurt dessert eggs) [...]

  8. marye on June 26th, 2007

    I am seeing more and more of us get into the idea of putting things up as our grandmas did…I have always enjoyed canning and freezing…Here in Tx we have 3 growing seasons so we do have more opportunity than other areas.
    But..the burning question….
    When are you posting the recipe for carrot chipotle soup?
    YUM.

  9. vanessa on June 26th, 2007

    Deborah, I should look into one of those, I use so many ziplocs it might make sense for me.

    marye, you’ll have to wait for carrot season just like me!

  10. Kerry on June 28th, 2007

    I made this cake today. It is soooooo yummy. Definately be making this one again

  11. bazu on June 29th, 2007

    There are no words to describe the beauty of those strawberries!

  12. vanessa on June 30th, 2007

    Kerry, I’m so glad you like this cake.

    bazu, it is definitely the year of the strawberry here in Wisconsin. I picked up some more this morning at the Farmers’ Market and they too are beyond belief.

  13. What geeks eat… » Blog Archive » French yogurt cake with apples and vanilla mascarpone on December 14th, 2007

    [...] all starts with the one of those elegantly simple things I do, the french yogurt cake. That cake is like solid gold, so flavorful, moist, and effortless. The only rule with this cake is [...]

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