This text is part of the special book Plaisirs
It’s harvest season and the stalls are filled with produce of spectacular color and flavor. Do you want to try to keep some of this precious summer freshness to consume it in the heart of winter? You don’t have to be an autoclave pro to stock up. Catherine Sylvestre, agronomist and director of vegetable production at Ferme des Quatre-Temps in Hemmingford, and Jean-François Phaneuf, owner of Jardins du Vieux Marché in Saint-Hyacinthe, suggest five foods to buy in large quantities now for consume later, all without too much effort.
Eggplant
What to do with the multi-coloured eggplants that abound at the end of summer? Jean-François Phaneuf suggests grilling them in slices, then freezing them. “Granted, they will be a little soft when thawed, but it will make an amazing base for a homemade baba ganoush or mashed eggplant,” he explains. Two excellent preparations to put in a sandwich or to serve as a dip with raw vegetables. Otherwise, it is also possible to prepare now a ratatouille of aubergines, zucchini and peppers, all seasonal vegetables, then freeze the whole dish. It will be enough to heat it in the oven before enjoying it in a few weeks.
Ginger
But what is this strange, incongruously shaped pink and cream food? It’s young ginger from Quebec! Harvested in August, five months after being planted in the greenhouse, it has not yet had time to develop its beige-brown skin, which takes about 12 months to appear. Catherine Sylvestre openly boasts of its attributes: “Baby ginger is much juicier and less fibrous than the ginger found at the grocery store and which comes from elsewhere. It really is a different product, totally delicious. To keep it for months, just put it in the freezer as it is, then grate a piece when you need it. In cold weather, ginger will wonderfully flavor recipes for soups, baked fish or stews. A regular ginger eater should buy about 600 grams (or six pieces) of ginger from Quebec to be able to consume it even in January.
Cucumber
Unlike large English cucumbers, which are full of seeds and waterlogged, Lebanese cucumbers, which are smaller and very crunchy, are perfect for preparing homemade pickles. This is the ideal project for those who would like to get into food preservation without having the knowledge or the equipment required. The only ingredients needed are cucumbers, white vinegar, water and seasoning. Since they are so inexpensive and very abundant at the end of the summer, we get dozens of them, which we will transform into dill pickles, sweetened or roasted garlic, according to the desire of the moment. To be served all winter long as an accompaniment to sandwiches, burgers or stewed meats, or on a cheese platter as an aperitif.
Garlic
“Quebec garlic is bigger, juicier and oh so much tastier than the others,” proclaims Catherine Sylvestre loud and clear. Since Quebec garlic heads only cost one or two dollars at the end of the summer, the agronomist estimates that an informed consumer who wants to get a good deal should buy up to fifty heads. Fresh garlic will keep for a few weeks at room temperature (“especially not in the fridge!”), in a dry and well-ventilated place. You can also dry or dehydrate the cloves to keep them all winter in the form of powder or thin slices. To add without moderation in all its recipes.
Basil
A homemade pesto is delicious in pasta, on grilled vegetables, in a sandwich or in a dip. Very often, market gardeners will offer whole basil plants. You must first remove all the leaves, then put the rest of the plant in the compost. To make an interesting quantity of pesto, you will need at least four plants, estimates Catherine Sylvestre. And why not make a 100% local pesto, while you’re at it? Catherine Sylvestre suggests using sunflower oil instead of olive oil, sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts, Quebec cheese instead of parmesan, Quebec garlic and lots of beautiful fresh basil.