And then there was more...

So I didn't do to well at eating all the veggies we had from the last basket. By the time my second basket had arrived, I had only used up the lettuce, some of the corn and the stuff used for the rainbow ketchup and stew. Needless to say, when I cleaned out the fridge yesterday morning to accommodate our "new arrivals", my husband was less than pleased. 


I know, I know, but it's hard changing my habits. I'm trying to do better! Anyways after some fancy footwork, and LOTS of negotiating, we have decided to try for a little while longer. 


So I forgot to take pictures of this basket, but it was a lot of the same. Tons of tomatoes, 1 whole onion (who are they kidding, you need lots of onions - always!), 1 whole garlic clove, corn on the cob (though a lot less this time), lettuce, some kind of sprout thingy, fingerling potatoes, purple carrots (yup, purple), yellow beans, white striped purple beans, 1 red pepper, broccoli (WTF - ok, I don't like broccoli and there was plenty), cilantro, zucchini, panty pants (okay, fine Patti pans), a ridiculous amount of squash, a cucumber, and a cantaloupe. On top of this lovely basket, I also purchased a pound of organically grown garlic from a friend at work (government worker by day, organic garlic producer by weekend!), and two large baskets of blueberries (can anyone say blueberry jelly???).


I had already guessed that I would be getting more tomatoes, so I had a plan. But as for the rest of it, no clue. I mean, they sent me broccoli! Why?!?! 


Here is what I came up with:

• Salsa (what else?)
• Chocolate zucchini loaf ( I thought I had more zucchini and I would be making 28 batches... wrong, it was the squash that was plentiful!)
• Broccoli casserole (Hubby had to come up with the broccoli solution)
• Pureed and frozen garlic "cubes"
• Blueberry jelly (yum, yum, yum!)

I got the basket on Saturday and started with pureeing fifty bazillion organic garlic cloves. With hubby's help, I think it took about an1 hour. Then I made 2 zucchini loaves and went out for dinner (at an Italian restaurant, so no one would notice I reeked of garlic) with a girlfriend. 

Today's plan was to do the casserole and the salsa, with aspirations of jelly.  I started later than I thought I would (at around 1:30 pm) with the broccoli casserole, while also prepping for the salsa. I think I finally really started the salsa at 2:30. Damn, salsa is an involved process, but wow - totally worth it!!! We finished up (I say we 'cause I would have never finished if hubby hadn't helped) at around 7:30 pm.

Never quite managed to get the jelly done, but the process has begun...

You are looking at two baskets worth of blueberries, washed, picked through, pureed and now straining so that I can only have blueberry juice!


Results:

• 32 garlic puree "cubes" (to use as needed)
• 2 chocolate zucchini loaves
• 1 broccoli casserole 
• 4 250 ml jars of salsa
• 4 500 ml jars of salsa

Used up:

• 2 zucchinis from last basket and 2 from this basket
• garlic from this basket and the leftover from last basket
• the 1 onion they sent me
• all broccoli
• all the tomatoes
• cilantro

During our dinner I also managed to use up the carrots and potatoes from last week plus almost all of my weird purple carrots.


Lessons learned:

• processing means that you can keep your jars on a shelf (not in the fridge) for up to 1 year! 
• I think that I will be buying a lot less store made food... wow.

BTW, anyone have suggestions on what to do with the squash? I have a lot of them.