Harvest Time (pick or buy, then freeze)-

Usually at this time of year I am a pesto making machine. I collect as much basil as I can possibly grow, buy or steal (not really, it just sounded good), and set about making vast batches of pesto to freeze.

I make a nut free version because of my daughter's severe nut allergy, so that simply means more cheese, oil and basil.

I make it all with a food processor, simply adding raw garlic, basil, olive oil and Parmesan cheese until it is the right consistency. Then I spoon the green goodness into ice cube trays and freeze them. After they are frozen, I transfer them to a freezer bag for storage all winter (if we make it that far- we usually run out in December). The ice cube size is perfect for one serving with pasta, and several do the trick for the family. This is a quick and easy way to taste summer even on those rainy November days, or during the deep freeze of February.

At times I've added sun dried tomatoes, spinach, or cilantro for variations. Using spinach adds lots of extra nutrition without much consternation from the kids.

My friend Dana buys massive amounts of tomatoes, chops and cooks them with onions, garlic, and any other veggies she has on hand, then she freezes the sauce in bags for use all year.

This will be a fresh pesto-less year for us as we are living away from our garden space. But the cabin where we are staying has gobs of blueberry bushes, so we have frozen those on cookie sheets and are putting them in freezer bags as well.

So load up, and get ready for winter. In Vermont, it should come some time next week (okay, not really, but our first snow is usually in early October).