Words about contentment inspired this series that celebrates ingenuity, creativity, and resourcefulness. Join me in the comments and share what you've done with what you have.
It seems freezers can swallow up food, hiding it in a jumble of frosty forms to be forgotten, then found, then wondered at, then finally deciphered with ice pick in hand, archaeologist you are of the frozen (am I the only one?). While doing such digging through the freezer the other day, I came across buried treasure: frozen basil leaves from last summer's garden (I thought I'd used it all up!).
An indescribable joy washed over me.
In the middle of winter, this, my friends, may be even better than flowers.
A master gardener friend taught me this frozen basil trick years ago: Pick, wash, and dry fresh basil when you have a bumper crop in summer, put the dry leaves in a container (I've only used sealable bags, but a jar with a lid may work, too) and pop them into the freezer. The leaves will freeze individually, and look like frosty basil chips.
Then, in the dead of winter, pull out a handful of leaves and whack them up with your chef's knife. You might expect the leaves to turn into a slimy, post-freezer mess, but no, they happily remain their sturdy, fragrant selves. By the time you're done chopping, they will have defrosted and are ready to be tossed into red sauce for lasagna or spaghetti; sauteed with onion, garlic, and mushrooms and served over toast with a fried egg; or sprinkled generously over an omelet.
It's like having fresh basil when you don't.
Do what you can with what you have. (And plan to freeze even more basil this summer!)
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