Frozen Tomatoes

This is an excerpt from the weekly News-Loveletter. If you would like it sent to your inbox directly (with all the other juicy bits, including a mini joy practice), you can add yourself to my mailing list here.

“I have to admit that I have some freezer envy,” Jamie told me after stowing packages of elk meat in our icy treasure chest. (We are eternally grateful to Jamie and her husband Andy for their generous sharing!)

“What about?” I asked.

“All those fruits and vegetables you have stocked up in there,” she said. And she only saw the half of it. Three months ago, you couldn’t have fit a frozen burrito in there if you’d tried. We have since used up a zillion quarts of frozen blueberries, cherries, and peaches in smoothies. We’ve used a bushel of frozen tomatoes in giant pots of chili and soup, and we’ve eaten the cubes of sauce we’d frozen for our winter holiday trip. All that space now ready for precious elk!

We are blessed with everything that goes into and comes out of our dear freezer. Pictured above, frozen heirloom tomatoes married with sautéed peppers and onions, which transported a pot of beans to somewhere near nirvana. As I arranged them in the skillet, soft-frozen, I felt the bounty of summer at my fingertips. It is a bright reminder that our loving investment today can nourish us and the world tomorrow.

When have you invested in your future in a way that brought you joy in the darkest hours?