When I was growing up, I loved making time capsules. (It’s like time travel for us mere mortals.) I’d get an empty, plastic bread sleeve and fill it with newspaper clippings, mix tapes that had 80′s hits and bits of the top deejays. I’d include a note about my favorite hobbies, my loved/hated classes, who my closest friends were, and the boys that I liked. Then I’d seal it with a twist tie or rubber band and tape a note to the outside – “Open in March 1986.” I’d mark the date for 2-5 years in the future, and in the lifespan of a kid, that’s a big length of time in terms of interests and habits. My dad would take the capsule up a ladder to the attic and hang it onto one of the beams. It wasn’t accessible there. Out of sight, out of mind. Then after the allotted length would pass, my dad would bring down the capsule, and I’d hurry off to my bedroom to unpack the secrets of another time, revisiting the sweetness from other days.
Freezers are kind of like that. Stay with me here. In June and July when the basil is fresh and plentiful, we can make batches of pesto by the container-full, cover them in lids, and stack them onto those cold shelves. In the wet, flannel blanket of summer humidity, winter only exists in echoes. But in February when the driveway is covered in snow and green is solely found in houseplants, we can thaw a bit of those sticky, sun-drenched days. Do you remember as a kid wanting to freeze a snowball and save it for a July afternoon? It’s kind of like that, but in reverse. From the depths of winter, while tossing pesto and pasta, adding jarred artichokes and olives, we get a glimpse of warmer days when we were taking long hikes, admiring the fireflies, and swinging in the park.
People often say that they don’t have time to cook. There’s no time to make healthy meals, they say. Putting soups, stews, and beans into the freezer is like helping out your future self. We set ourselves up for busy days or for when we’re sick or tired. We can reach into the freezer and grab a homemade veggie burger or container of three-bean chili for a dinner that’s quick, easy, and wholesome.
Here are some frozen food ideas I’ve been utilizing lately:
My current favorite pesto is the pistachio pesto from the ladies at Spork Foods. (I wrote about it here in my review of their cookbook, Spork Fed.) First I used the fresh pesto to toss with spiralized zucchini noodles, tomatoes, asparagus, and olives. (I ran a large zucchini through the spiralizer, and put the noodles into a colander. I salted them generously to soften them, and let them sweat while I made the pesto. After they were pliable and loose, I rinsed them thoroughly and tossed them with the pesto. I often like to make the pesto without oil, which means it can come out as more of a paste. This is no problem – just use your hands to evenly break up the pesto and massage it into the noodles for total coverage.) With any leftover pesto, I put it into small covered Pyrex containers and pop them in the fridge for another day. The top of the pesto becomes a little discolored, but it tastes fine. If the appearance is off putting, you can scoop off the top layer and underneath it’s bright green.
My cauliflower and white bean queso that I wrote about in May makes about four cups of queso. That’s a lot of dipping! Instead of making a half batch, I put half in the freezer. It thaws and reheats beautifully. (The liquid may have separated from the sauce a little bit. Give it a quick stir and it’s good to go.) You would never know that it wasn’t freshly made. Then use it for a quick quesadilla lunch with a tall glass of cucumber water.
When you don’t feel like making your own, I recently discovered a new frozen appetizer from Trader Joe’s – vegetable pakoras. Pakoras are one of my favorite Indian starters. They’re made of chickpea flour and fried with various vegetables. (One box serves 2.5 people. I’m glad we don’t live with a half person. We were happy to score extra pakora for ourselves.) When added to a dinner of masoor dal, it makes for a complete meal that’s done in 20 minutes. The frozen pakoras are baked in the oven straight from the package, and the masoor dal can be made in one pot. It’s just red lentils, garlic, onions, and spices – things that I always have on hand. (I make a modified version of the masoor dal from Vegan Table. I sub out the cumin seeds for hot curry powder from Penzey’s Spices.) Add leftover rice and it’s satisfying, tasty, and delightfully easy.
The pakoras come with a packet of sweet tamarind chutney, but my heart belongs to Hari Chutney. When I make curries, I love a cool drizzle of the cilantro chutney. I don’t always feel like adding another step, though, just to make a sauce. As luck would have it, extra chutney can be poured into ice cube trays. Then when I have a hankering for pakora, I just thaw a cube or two.
All this talk of time capsules makes me think I need to revisit the concept. Get me a cassette and some Adele. I feel a mix tape coming on.
Hahaha. “I’m glad I don’t live with half a person”. I was not surprised at your current 2012 crush. When are you going to open this capsule? Will there be an avocado in it? Beautiful presentations, Cadry and I must try the pistachio pesto sans oil too.
When it comes to my cat’s appetite for asparagus, she’s at least half a person! She doesn’t have any interest in pakora (that I know about). However, it’s probably for the best that she doesn’t know asparagus is almost out of season. It would break her little kitty heart.
Do try out the pistachio pesto when you get a chance! Especially with basil being at it’s peak, there couldn’t be a better way to use it.
Oh, I WANT to think ahead. I WANT to have something in the freezer for those busy days. Alas, I have discovered every day is a busy day! lol I really need to get back to that. Thanks for the good ideas.
Maybe you need to go with the frozen food aisle direction!
Actually, it’s been my experience that there’s not a huge time difference when I’m cooking for two to cook for four instead. Once I’m already chopping half an onion, a whole onion takes about the same amount of time. If I always cook for more than I need at that time, it’s not a lot of extra effort to pack some away in the freezer.
Wow! What an inspiring reminder to freeze things! I love picturing you as a kid with the time capsules. I never tried that as a youngster, but felt a Homer-ish “D’oh!” from my inner child, who would have LOVED to have done that. How cool that your dad helped you!
You should still do it, Katrina! It’s something I think about doing every now and again. It’s like going back and reading old journals. There’s something wonderful about returning to another time and reflecting with the added perspective of age. I had the intention of making one when David and I got married and then opening it on our 10 year wedding anniversary. Somehow I never got around to it!
My dad was very sweet to help me. He was (and still is) always game for whatever my imagination dreamt up!
I am so with you- living with half a person would be a total drag.
I’m finding that the key to freezing things is remembering what’s in there. I always freeze things with the best intentions, only to forget them and find them 6-12 months later. In fact, this post just reminded me that I, in fact, have half of your cauliflower queso in my freezer as well! Yay!
My grandma made all off her grandkids do a joint time capsule, each with our own list of who we thought was going to get their first car first, get married first, have the first baby first, etc., as well as all of our personal faves at the time. The only thing that turned out to be correct was that we all (10 of us) said that my cousin Stephanie would have the first baby, and she sure did! Time capsules are so fun- thanks for the reminder that we should do them with the twins!
Living with half a person would also draw a lot of stares. Regardless if they were just a right half or just a left half, it would still be unsightly. I imagine he’d go by the name of Than. (It was supposed to be Johnathan, but well, you know…)
On the topic of remembering things in the freezer, I’ve seen on Pinterest where people make chalkboards or dry erase boards that list what’s inside the freezer. Then they take it off the list when they use it. I would never be that organized, but I can see how it would be helpful.
I was tickled that the cauliflower queso froze and thawed without any change in viscosity. It could be very handy if planning a party or get together as a make-ahead dish.
That’s great that your grandma got all of the grandkids involved in making a time capsule! How fun! I like the fortune telling aspect of her take on it. How funny that everyone would guess that about Stephanie and then that it would be true. She must be good with kids!
Hmm… Not sure if I should be flattered as your current crush, or if I should be threatened by this David Tennant fellow…!
I was hoping you’d notice that! Let me ease your mind by saying that my crush wears Converse sneakers, enjoys theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, and worries his song will be ending soon. (Luckily, Paradise by the Dashboard Light takes a very, very long time…)
I have to stop reading your blog before I eat. Everything looks so good! Now I’m starving…
Maybe I should consider a disclaimer! Warning: may induce feelings of hunger, salivation, and urge to visit nearest natural grocery store. Read at your own peril!
i was going to laugh at half a person thing too.. but then everyone is talking abt it
i have the same problem with freezing.. i usually forget about whats in there and since when, though lately i label it. leftovers is such a no no concept at parent and and at my in laws. my father in law will not eat anything that has to be reheated, even if it is just a few hours on the same day. i would think that he just got used to it with all the fresh home made food, but i think he has some reason which we have decided to discuss on his next visit.
That’s interesting! I wonder how often your father-in-law does the cooking. After a person spends an hour or two in the kitchen, leftovers seem like a more attractive option. I just hate seeing anything go to waste! How does he feel about food that has been “repurposed”? Meaning, what if you take the leftover beans from one dish and then blend them into a puree for another dish?
nope.. no re- anything for him.. and he does not cook at all!:) but no one complains back home with a hired cook or 2 always around.
i realized the importance of the hired help when he visited, I felt like me and ma in law were pretty much living in the kitchen.:) of course hubbs helped everyday after the first 2 days of getting a stink eye.
I think of my husband and myself as 1-1/4 people — we may overeat, but we don’t have to worry about that elusive half-person. I’ve never noticed the pakoras at TJ’s but will have to pay better attention next time I’m there. The pesto looks great, and my spiralizer has been on my mind lately — I’ve been holding out for local zucchini but maybe I should just consider California local.
When I had a big garden I used to blend up basil and freeze it in ice cube trays like you did with the chutney, but I guess I should just do the same with any basil I buy. I’m glad you don’t wait two or three years before opening your freezer time capsule! I think I may have some mystery packages in mine.
I only recently discovered the pakoras myself. It couldn’t come at a better time since our favorite vegetarian Indian restaurant started serving meat. Obviously they’ll still have their vegan entrees as well, but it depresses me to go out and see lambs on the menu. I know we won’t be visiting nearly as often anymore. On the plus side, I’m on my way to broadening my Indian repertoire!
Good luck on the zucchini! I hope it shows up soon for you. I could mail you some of my local zucchini, but that would probably spoil the point of the exercise, wouldn’t it?
what a great and helpful post! i love freezing pesto — dinner in a snap! just boil noodles and go!
So true! Whenever I see expensive jarred pesto at the store, I’m glad for my reserves at home!
Your post has reminded me that I really should utilise my freezer more! I’ve been very disciplined with preparing dried beans and keeping a good supply in the freezer but that’s as far as it goes. I’m also very jealous of your time capsule keeping abilities, I tried that once but I couldn’t keep my mitts off it for long.
One last thing, I have given you an award over at my blog. Check it out when you get the chance!
Perhaps you need to involve your husband in the time capsule-hiding to make waiting a little easier. I’m sure if I’d had the time capsule in an easily accessible place, it would have been opened in a few months’ time. I’m notoriously bad at waiting for surprises!
Thank you so much for the award on your blog! That’s a real treat!
The vegetable pakoras look so yummy!!! I’m going to make a trip to Trader Joe’s ASAP to pick them up. You are definitely helping to fill my freezer (I’m addicted to frozen bananas).
By the way…just got back from Fresh Cafe & Market. Even better than the first time.
I think you’d really like them! You can invite your favorite half a person over for dinner!
When I made the masoor dal I thought of you too. I know you like Indian cuisine, and this dish is incredibly easy. It has three ingredients and two spices, and it’s ready in twenty minutes.
I’m so glad you enjoyed your lunch at Fresh Cafe & Market! Get familiar with the menu, and then when we go again, you can give me the rundown on what I should try!
Time Capsules!!! You are my kind of gal. There is something that I just adore about these, however my problem was that I couldn’t wait until the allotted time. I’d end up opening it the next day and feel ripped off because I remembered what I put in there the day before
But that pistachio pesto is calling my name!! I cannot wait to try it *and* your famous cauliflower queso…
Yes, it takes the element of surprise down a notch when the letters/cassettes/clippings are only from yesterday! Knowing what a snoop I can be when it comes to presents, it’s kind of shocking that I had it in me to wait. It really was only because it was such a hassle getting into the dusty and stifling attic that I held out.
Definitely make the pesto when you get a chance! It’s divine!