scratch and dent vegetables

[hannahsmom]

my friendly neighborhood produce guy is always marking fruits and veggies WAY down, which is great if i can use within a day or two. but sometimes i can't. i always prepare (i.e. clean and chop) and throw in freezer bags. the veggies i throw in soup. the fruit i've been using for blender drinks. whether you want for smoothies or dacquiris, the over ripe stuff is perfect because it's really sweet. i use anything. last week i dug some watermelon out of the freezer and threw it in the blender w/ some ice and rum (seeds and all). oh my gosh, it made the best watermelon dacquiris - i couldn't make them fast enough for my guests! so much better than that nasty mix stuff. AND HEALTHFUL! (disregarding the rum of course! lol) try it out! paula.

[cata5]

I don't find alot these days, but last week I bought several bags of salad that were marked at .49! We just ate lots of salads the next 2 days! Bananas are another good item to get when they bring in all new and mark down the ripe singles. The ripe ones are great thrown in the blender with milk, a few ice cubes, and sugar to taste.

Paula, Do you chop the watermelon in pieces and freeze in a ziploc bag?

[jersey_girl227]

Hey Hannahsmom! Thanks for the watermelon daquairi idea! I am single and live with my sister, so sometimes our watermelon starts to go bad before we can eat it all ... and I sure do hate to waste it.

I love this idea! Plus, we can use the overripe bananas we usually have in the house as well. I guess the possibilities are endless! LOL!

[hannahsmom]

depending on the probable future use, i go ahead and wash, remove skin (if necessary) and chop to size. so if i'm going to throw fruit in the blender, i cut it pretty big. celery that's going into soup i dice, so i can just empty the bag (or part of it) out into the pot. peppers i julienne, then in midwinter throw them in a skillet to make pepper steak or fajitas. they're much harder to cut after they're frozen, and a great time saver at dinner time, too, to just empty the bag out! here's another idea (thinking of the abundance a garden brings)- when i have ripe tomatoes and can't get thru them before they rot, i slice and put on a foil covered cookie sheet. i drizzle w/ olive oil, sometimes chop a little garlic or omion and strew over, then bake at a low heat til the liquid has evaporated. then i put those in a freezer bag, too. presto, "sun dried" tomatoes to throw atop a pizza or in pasta! glad you like the idea, jersey girl! hope you enjoy!

[tkkmasky]

ooooo, those sun dried tomatoes sound great, what a good idea! We have a ton of tomato plants this year, so I will be trying this, thanks!

[hannahsmom]

another variation is to throw a bunch of whole garlic cloves in w/ the tomatoes as they cook. you wouldn't believe how this perks up a store bought pizza! if you like feta you might like this - my most requested appetizer for parties - take a boboli (or any kind of pizza crust, but the more bread-like the better), cover it w/ the "sun dried" tomatoes, then sprinkle feta over the top (sometimes i'll use caramelized onions, too). pop in the oven for long enough to heat the crust (about 15 minutes) and you're ready to go. it is YUMMY!

[tkkmasky]

Thanks Hannahsmom.......that sounds so good! And easy too.