Stocking Up the Larder

It looks like summer might end after all. I was kind of hoping for miserable hurricane weather to keep me in my kitchen. The hurricane never came, but I’ve been cooking up a storm. Here’s my summer-to-fall foodie concoctions.

• My pickled green beans came out wonderfully. (Boil equal parts water and vinegar [I did half and half white and balsamic], with half that amount of salt and about four cloves garlic. Put green beans in a jar with a sprig or two of fresh dill. Pour brine over green beans. Leave for two weeks. Eat while standing in front of the refrigerator trying to decide what to cook.) I will be doing more pickling for sure.
• I seem to be in a constant state of making and freezing spaghetti sauce, only to unfreeze and eat it about three days later. This time around, I sauteed turkey bacon with the garlic before adding the crushed tomatoes. Deliciousness ensued.
• I’m having a little love affair with lentil salad these days. I thought that lentils were hard to cook and needed to be soaked overnight and whatnot. They don’t! Once cooked, I added carrots and feta, and a vinaigrette of balsamic, EVOO, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and some more fresh dill. I suspect the pickled green beans will make a nice addition to one or two servings.
• Nothing makes me feel more domestic and accomplished than making and freezing a bunch of burritos. I currently have chicken in the slowcooker with sofritos, garlic, lime, salt, cayenne and a dash of cumin. I’ll shred and wrap it up with refried beans, rice and cheese. Between that and the lentils, I’ll be the happiest lunch-eater in my office.