One of the easiest ways to preserve the harvest and enjoy some local food all year long is to freeze fresh corn and other vegetables.

One rainy August day last year we bought 1 bushel of fresh corn at the local farmer’s market. The kids and my husband shucked it outside on the deck in their raincoats and hats, and proudly brought it to me in the kitchen. I then cut it off the cob, blanched it, and froze it. This produced two 1-gallon zip lock bags full of fresh corn once it was frozen, enough to last us all year. That was for a 4-person household who uses corn about 2 times a month. You can do more or less depending on how many people you are serving and how much you eat corn. Sometimes you just have to guess and keep notes of how much you used and when you ran out so that you can adjust the quantity for next year.

To cut fresh corn off the cob, after shucking, place larger end of corn in a large bowl and hold onto the pointier end firmly. Using a sharp knife, cut from the end you are holding down to the bottom and repeat turning the corn as you go. The kernels of corn should pop off quite easily but you do want to make sure that you are getting enough of the kernel off the cob.

After cutting all the corn off the cob, place corn in a large pot of boiling water and bring the water back to a boil for just a minute or 2. If you don’t have a very large pot you can just cook the corn in a smaller pot in batches. Drain the corn in a colander, letting it sit for 10 minutes or so to drain fully. Line cookie sheets with clean towels and spread corn out onto the towels. Let the corn sit on the towels for an hour or so to dry them as much as possible and then remove the towels leaving the corn on the cookie sheets. Now you can freeze the corn and when it is frozen you can easily transfer it to a gallon zip lock bag and the kernels should not be stuck together. When you are ready to use some corn you just take out the desired amount and reseal the bag.

You can also use this same technique of preparing vegetables, blanching, drying, and freezing in bags to preserve green beans, wax beans, spinach, kale, cauliflower, and broccoli. The trick is to make sure the vegetables are as close to completely dry as possible before freezing.

Quinoa (keen-wah) is a food that many people are not accustomed to eating, but which is very desirable because of all the health benefits. Quinoa is high in fiber and has all of the essential amino acids present, making it a complete protein. It is also high in the mineral magnesium and vitamin B2. Quinoa is a must for someone who is vegan and a plus for a vegetarian. Quinoa is also gluten free and thus can be consumed by those with celiac disease. Quinoa can be used plain as a side dish, mixed with rice, or used as a substitute for other grains in some recipes. Before cooking quinoa it is necessary to rinse it in a fine sieve under warm water to remove the natural bitter tasting saponins from the outside of the seed. The following recipe uses quinoa along with the ever-healthy black bean.


1/2 cup red wine vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 cup of your favorite salsa
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 cup fresh corn (about 3 ears), cooked
1/4 cup red onion, diced small
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
¼ cup chopped scallions
1 cup quinoa

Rinse quinoa in a sieve and place in a pot with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil and turn heat to simmer. After the quinoa simmers for about 10 minutes add the corn off the cob into the pot. Cover and continue to cook until all of the water is absorbed.

Whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and sugar. Combine the cooked quinoa, corn, beans, peppers, and scallions and toss with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.