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Listen up, food fans, because I have good news and bad news. The good news is that with July well underway, a bounty of fresh fruits and veggies that most of us anxiously await all year long is on the harvest horizon. Cucumbers, green beans, and lettuce (oh my!) are ready for picking and garden-fresh cantaloupe, ripe-red strawberries, and sweet, plump plums have arrived in our gardens as well. In no time, we'll be feasting on juicy, late-August tomatoes and crunching on buttery, just-picked, sweet white corn. And that's where the bad news comes in, because as quickly as these culinary beauties appear out of the ground or on the vine, they're gone.
Easton's Sherri Brooks Vinton has a new book that helps us extend the garden freshness all year long. "Put 'Em Up! A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook" (Storey Publishing) offers step-by-step instructions for preserving the wholesome goodness of our summer produce yields through virtually every style of food preservation. Unlike other, similar guides, Vinton's provides advice and techniques that will help even the most timid beginners on their quest to bring a little of their favorite summer produce to their winter table. The book details options of freezing, air- and oven-drying, cold- and hot-pack canning, and pickling, and it includes recipe yields as small as a few pints or as large as several gallons.
"It's not as difficult as people expect it to be. The book offers the safest and simplest techniques, and as long as you follow the recipes and use common sense, it's a snap," said Vinton. As to her pesonal favorites, Vinton says there's always something coming out of the ground she wants to preserve. She is an ardent fan of her cherry and black pepper preserves (grab the last of the fresh cherries while you still can) and her recipes for pickles. "Crock pickles, a fermented classic, are absolutely delicious and making them is one of the most fun kitchen experiments you'll ever do," she says enthusiastically.
"The main thing I hope people will understand is that real food is for everyone, cooking is easy, and everyone should get into the kitchen and rattle those pots and pans."
Vinton is the founder of FarmFriendly LLC, which helps chefs, restaurateurs, and food organizations support local agriculture. She is a former governor of Slow Food USA, and a member of the Chef's Collaborative and the Northeast Organic Farmers Association. Her first book, "The Real Food Revival: Aisle by Aisle, Morsel by Morsel," offers practical tips for eating sustainably grown and raised food. More information on Vinton and her books is available on her website.
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