Late Night Canning

This week, my CSA box included:

•  Beans
• Eggplant
• Green Peppers (probably Bell-ish)
• Yellow Squash
• Lettuce
• Swiss Chard
• Beets (really lovely beets, with amazing greens)
• Watermellon
• Green Onions
• Basil
•  Eggs 
• Tomatoes
• Zucchini

 One thing that I'm starting to get good at is knowing what I really will be able to eat during the week.  I'll acknowledge that in my first few boxes I lost more than a few batches of greens, two or three servings of broccoli, and a few bunches of broccoli and radishes.  I thought I would eat them, but there was simply too much.  I've gotten better and being realistic with myself.  The conversation goes a little like this:

Look at those beet greens, and those swiss chard leaves.  They're so pretty.
Okay, sure, but you're not going to eat them before they go bad.
But they're so pretty.  So fresh.  They would taste so good!
You know what else tastes good?  Tomatoes and cucumbers.  And you like those better.  That's what you're going to eat.
But.  But.  Pretty.
Shut up and get them in the freezer.
You're mean.
Yeah, I don't care.  Just get it done so we can go to sleep at a reasonable hour.
Jerk.

If this conversation doesn't make sense to you, it might help to keep in mind that I am an Aries/Pieces Cusp.

Fridays and Saturdays have become pretty much all about freezing, drying, and canning.  More on that to come.  What's left is the things that really can't be preserved, or that are much better fresh.  I mean, I'm going to cook that leafy green/broccoli/bean anyway, so why not cook it, freeze it, and eat it later.  Right now, I want to eat salad.

Salad with smoked trout, goat cheese, and
lemon tarragon dressing.

 And, as I said, Fridays and Saturdays have become devoted to food preservation.  Recipes are forthcoming, but here's a picture of the aftermath:

And now I'm going to bed too, because it's well past a reasonable hour...