One of my many fond memories I have growing up in the Midwest was spending time with my grandmother preparing food and cooking together. And late summer/early fall always meant canning tomatoes! We would go to the farmer’s market and buy one or two bushels of tomatoes and then can them for the winter. Now this is very important to the Italian heritage as you can imagine because every Sunday we would eat “macaroni and gravy!”. Or as many of you would say “red sauce”. This article however is not about the debate of the semantics of sauce verses gravy.
This article is about sharing with you the wonderful experience of preserving the late summer treasures in the form of tomato booty and many found memories. And this tradition carried on long after my grandmother crossed over and I moved away from my hometown that I grew up in.
However, when I moved to Arizona, it became very difficult to can the various items I truly use and enjoy due to environmental and climate restraints. Most tomatoes are brought in from other states to the supermarkets and farmer’s markets is a bit of a novelty verses an everyday affair. So, canning stopped as we slipped into the modern conveniences of shopping supermarkets. I would go to farmer’s markets whenever I could to shop. However, it was only available once a week and usually required a bit of travel. In some cases, I would have to drive nearly 45 minutes to get to the nearest farmer’s market.
However, my story does not end there! I started to visit Vancouver, BC and saw that farm markets are still alive and thriving. This was very encouraging to me. Then I moved here to Richmond, BC and discovered that a large portion of Richmond is still family-owned farms that have permanent markets open daily during the spring, summer and fall to the public. I remember the first time I walked into the larger of the local farmer’s market and felt as if I was immediately brought back in time to when I was young and would go to a market known as the Tom Naples Market in my hometown of Melrose Park, Illinois. Naples market was the place to buy all your fruits and vegetables fresh and locally grown. There were also many markets still operating in the far west suburbs in the town of Oswego (where I last lived before moving to Arizona) as well.
The flash flood of memories made me realize it was time to start canning again! I started out by first paying attention to the various items in the market and looking at the signs designating “Locally grown” or it would say “BC —-” now available. It turns our that British Columbia is well known for many items that are some of my favorites such as blueberries, strawberries, apples, figs, tomatoes, various types of peas (yes real peas in pods! I love English peas), spinach, beets, Bok choy, Swiss chard, and many other wonderful things. I then noticed that the locally grown items would be available in abundance and in bulk. We started off first buying local sweet corn still in the husk” and grilled them for dinner. Then we found ourselves buying extra each time we shopped. Next, we started to “shuck” the corn and store in baggies to freeze. We now have corn froze for later in the winter.
Next, we saw blueberries on sale. 20-pound boxes for sale! We bought a much smaller quantity and tried our culinary skills are making blueberry jam. We have perfected a total vegan jam that does not contain any pectin or gelatins. We use chia seeds to thicken the jam. We also made homemade fig jam. It turns out we cannot make enough of this jam because we tend to use most mornings on our toast. And since it is sweetened with a bit of date, there is no sugar being used in the recipe which qualifies it as Whole Plant Based as well!
It was at this point I started to ask local markets about buying a bushel of tomatoes. At first, I did not get a positive response. Until one day we were shopping at our local market, and I saw this man who appeared to have worked there for many seasons. I simply asked him if they sold tomatoes by the bushel for canning. He said not bushels but 25 lbs. boxes. I was over the moon and the stars! Yes! I asked that he show me where the boxes were. We bought 50 lbs. of tomatoes. We then went out and bought all the necessary canning supplies. I also found serrano peppers and paired that with cauliflower, carrots, and celery that were also on sale to make Chicago-style Italian Giardiniera.
Alda and I spent the following weekend canning. We canned nearly (20) quarts of tomatoes and (4) quarts of Giardiniera. The following weekend, I bought a larger stock pot and then made (15) quarts of vegetable stock.
So, I am sure you are asking what does all this have to do with Blue Angel House Wellness and why are we posting about food? Well, it is very simple. We feel that too many of us fall into the modern conveniences of life that we forget about Gaia. We forget that mother earth provides for us the bounty from which we all live and feed off of. Although canning may seem daunting and arduous, it really can function as a way to reconnect with Nature once again and preserve that which was from summer to carry us through the winter. I am remembering of this mindfulness every time I open a jar or spread the jam on the toast. I find myself thanking Gaia for providing to me and Alda this wholesome freshly prepared meal. And everything we can is without any chemicals or preservatives. It is just as nature had intended our bounty of earth to be consumed. And ultimately, this is a great practice of presence! I am not suggesting that canning food in the late summer early fall is for everyone. And you may have no desire to take on such a task. Which I completely understand. But at least, go out to your local farmer’s market! See what is available. Buy local, bring the food home, and prepare it. Prepare the food with mindfulness and thank Mother Earth for all she provides to us. Food prepared and eaten with such reverence equals Love. And Love is the secret ingredient of all my recipes. It will have a far different feel than eating that which you obtained from your local supermarket. Do not get me wrong here, we need supermarkets but there are really not as personal. In many cases, when you go to the farmer’s market, we meet (in some cases) the folks that worked the crop, picked the crop, or boxed the crop. It helps reminds us of those things just don’t appear in the store and come from the ground somewhere. I also make it a point to talk with the folks working. It forms you to connect to the realness of the food you are eating verses taking most of this for granted. You are not only eating a better healthier version of food, but you are also eating with presence and a sense of connection to Gaia. I hope you truly try this and enjoy your experience. May you receive the blessings and wholeness of Mother Earth, Gaia, in all She can provide us! Next, Cook with Love, Eat with Gratitude! We will share the insights to how this journey began and where we plan to take you on this journey into bridging the gap between the physical and spiritual worlds. As Above, So Below.
Be share to read the Blog right after this one. I have written out step by step how I can my tomatoes.