late-summer freezer favorites
plus: sweet corn pancakes and ice cream sandwiches
Tuesday, September 4, 2023
Good morning!
Few things come up as often in Smitten Kitchen recipe comment sections and direct messages as: “Can I freeze this?/Does this freeze well?” “We’re expecting a baby/grandkid/busy fall and I want to stash as many freezer meals as possible. What do you recommend?” I aim to help! This past January, I made some very wintery suggestions. As we are now we’re heading into the closing weeks of summer and markets and gardens are awash in summer produce that needs to be used fast, the time is perfect to consider how to can sock away as much as possible. Below, a several late summer favorites that freeze well and will make you smile with a taste of summer in more shivery months.
Cheers,
Deb
P.S. Three new recipe demos! Sweet Corn Pancakes [Recipe, Reel, TikTok], Herbed Summer Squash and Potato Torte [Recipe, Reel, TikTok], and Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches [Recipe, TikTok]
The Smitten Kitchen Classroom Wishlist Project 2023 is live! In the US, a tremendous number of teachers don’t get the funding they need to set their classrooms up for success. Most will end up paying out of their own pockets to buy educational materials, which is all wrong. I’ve asked teachers to send me their wishlists in hopes that we can help clear as many as possible, as we did last summer. Help out if you feel you’re able — you will unquestionably make a teacher’s (and their students) day! [Project information. Direct link to spreadsheet.]
I’ve written three cookbooks and I’m a tiny bit biased, but I think you’d love them all. I’m thrilled that this warmer weather means you might be able to cook some of my late-summer favorites from my most recent cookbook, Smitten Kitchen Keepers, such as: zucchini cornbread and tomato butter, clam chowder with bacon croutons, zucchini and pesto lasagna, and raspberry crostata. Were you looking for a list of all the recipes in each of my cookbooks? I added these in a new, separate page and hope it makes it easier for you to find everything you want to cook.
zucchini rice and cheese gratin
An updated version of the Julia Child classic that makes it easier than ever -- no parboiling rice, no salting or draining zucchini, and you can even skip the spoonfuls of flour, so it's gluten-free. This turns everyone into a crispy zucchini casserole fanatic.
stuffed eggplant parmesan
A heartier, easier take on eggplant parmesan -- cozy and decadent, but not in a way that puts you immediately to sleep. You'll want to double this; you'll thank you later, and by later, I basically mean tomorrow because I have yet to have a pan last long enough to make it into the freezer.
herbed summer squash pasta bake
A freezer-friendly but infinitely summery (light and lemony! fresh herbs! seasonal vegetables!) pasta bake destined to become your favorite summer dish to prep and share.
baked orzo with eggplant and mozzarella
An Ottolenghi take on baked pasta with tomatoes, parmesan and enough mozzarella that it stretches from each forkful, but there are also pillows of eggplant and other vegetables, so it doesn't feel over the top. The leftovers, should any survive, are luxurious.
baked chicken meatballs
Halfway to meatloaves, these baked meatballs are a longtime weeknight staple of ours -- we love them with roasted vegetables, potatoes, polenta or even a simple white bean salad with your favorite vinaigrette.
lemon yogurt anything cake
A recipe for a lemon yogurt loaf cake that can be made any which way, but studded with tiny blueberries is my favorite. The recipe is now one-bowl with fewer fiddly steps but the cake remains as gently sweet and moist and almost pudding-y in texture as ever.
whole wheat raspberry ricotta scones
A tender pillow of a mildly sweet scone riddled with smashed raspberries -- these are a longtime favorite and always a good weekend idea.
zucchini bread pancakes
Crisp edges, plush interiors, fragrant and filling, these are one of our favorite weekend pancakes that also manages to address summer's real torment: zucchini population control.
shop my favorites
Ever wonder where I get my cutting boards, paring knives, offset spatulas and more than you see when I cook? I've created a page on Smitten Kitchen with links to some of my favorite kitchen items, the ones I'm asked about the most. I recently added several new favorites I’ve bought in the last year. For each item, I've attempted to provide a range of shopping links so we're not just focusing on one giant retailer.
See you next week!
