Stocking the freezer but keeping things fresh
I've always like the idea of advance preparation, taking advantage of produce being in season or of grocery store sales, that sort of thing. However, mostly when I put things in the freezer (other than tomatoes and butternut squash) they stay there for ages and ages. I have a huge number of sauces and the like in there now, and I do sometimes get something out, but it doesn't cycle through like the vision in my head. However, I am making progress. In the summer especially, I don't want to eat entirely out of the freezer - foods that can be frozen are generally on the heavier side and in the summer I want greens and summer squash and salad veg. So what I have come to is a half-freezer meal. Some component of it comes from the freezer, and the rest is fresh. Here are two examples. 1. Rice and beans-stuffed peppers: I have some rice and beans frozen in 1-cup quantities. That is perfect for stuffing two halves of a sweet pepper, along with some shredded cheese. Wrap in foil and...