Since we're now in the "Summer bounty" produce months, I wonder if you guys are finding the same great deals out there that I am.
First off, its a good time to know lots of ways to cook squash! It's so prolific at my farmer's market that it sells for 50 cents or less a lb. I like mine chopped up and baked with some garlic, basil, and cherry tomatoes, or stuffed with whole wheat couscous, garlic and basil...either way, I top it with some cheese and bake until bubbly. I will also slice it into planks, marinate in balsamic, rosemary, and garlic, and grill..delicious! We also grill it for salads and fajitas and thread it onto skewers. I can cook it a different way almost every night, which is good, because in summer, it is by far the most economical veggie out there.
This weekend I found a crazy, crazy bargain at a different stall at the market...a gigantic box of peaches (23 lbs) for 7 dollars. For 30 cents a pound, I couldn't resist. I spent 2 and a half hours last night blanching, peeling, and slicing...some are being frozen individually on sheet trays to save for smoothies, some were processed and chopped finely for a few batches of jam (peach, peach habanero, and peach boysenberry), and about a dozen or so are left for eating. It was a lot of work, but for 7 dollars I got about a gallon bag of frozen, organic peaches, fruit for about 2 dozen jars of jam, plus peaches for the week.
The green beans and long beans are still pretty expensive, so I'll wait a bit there. In 2-3 weeks, long beans will be a dollar a bunch and we'll buy them by the truckload for stirfries...they're so good, and a real seasonal treat for us. And I just can't wait for dollar a lb red flame grapes and 20 cent a lb watermelon...we lived on cheap fruit last summer and can't wait to do so again!
So what bargains are you finding? Are you buying things in bulk and preserving in any way?
