Making frozen vegetables palatable

[Laura Corin]

Brexit is due at the end of the year with no deal with the EU currently in place, nor with most other countries.  I have no confidence that fresh food supplies will be maintained - we rely on the EU, particularly in winter, and on north Africa too.  The UK is densely populated and has a lot of uncultivable land - we are apparently 133rd in the world in terms of agricultural land per head of population.

https://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/stats/Agriculture/Agricultural-land/Sq.-km-per-1000

We have stocked our freezer with meat and have good supplies of beans and rice.  We are not big fans of frozen veg apart from peas, broad beans, edamame and corn (not a veg, I know, but...).  The other frozen veg we have bought has not had a great texture when steamed or roasted.  I'm thinking that we should be buying a good supply but only expecting to eat it in soups, curries, stews, etc.  Does that sound right?

Any tips or ideas?

[IfIOnly]

I'm sorry for the uncertainty for your country and family right now.

My family loves this recipe. I use a little less broth and/or cook uncovered when using frozen veggies, which is most of the time. Sometimes I'll add garlic, but it's great either way. Can sub olive oil for the butter too.

Quote

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it

1 tablespoon butter

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup chicken broth

1 to 1 1/4 pounds trimmed green beans 

Salt

 

Directions

1. To a medium pan over medium heat add extra-virgin olive oil and butter and onion. Saute onion 3 minutes, add broth and bring to a boil. Add beans, season with salt and cover pan and simmer 8 minutes, until tender.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/green-beans-with-onion-recipe-1942369

Edited November 20, 2020 by IfIOnly

[Lecka]

I like frozen mixed vegetables in casseroles also, with canned “cream of” soups and shredded chicken.  Sometimes I also put in rice and dried onions (like in green bean casserole).  
 

It’s far from steamed or roasted vegetables but my daughter loves it and it’s great left over.  

[Lecka]

I have used frozen vegetables to make fried rice, and it is on the softer side but it’s fine with me.  
 

I also do like the texture of frozen broccoli better than other frozen vegetables — it’s what I would use in fried rice.  
 

I also think frozen brussel sprouts are better than others. 
 

I am fine with both of them.

I have eaten recipes for frozen carrots that are good, too, but they do not taste as good as roasted.  But I have eaten sides that tasted good with them soft — sweeter flavoring like orange juice and brown sugar off the top of my head, but they would probably also be good with a more savory light sauce — and then I think they do taste good with the softer texture.  
 

I will add that canned chicken is not bad at all in a casserole.  I have never cooked with it but I have eaten it.  I have thought it tasted good.  

[Lecka]

I have also made stir-fry with bags of “stir-fry vegetables.”  I am not going to say it’s as good as using fresh, but it’s fine with me.  It’s pretty good and makes for such a fast and easy meal!  When my kids were younger I never would have had time to prepare fresh vegetables in a small size, so it worked well and I liked it. 

 My kids liked soft better when they were younger, and it was so much easier — I used frozen vegetables more when they were younger.

To a great extent — I think they taste better when it’s what I am used to eating and I haven’t made roasted in a long time.

I don’t really like steamed vegetables and I think I would just as soon have frozen. 
 

I think either vegetables I don’t eat as often other ways, or ones with a stronger flavor, are ones I will like better.

In my life I think I have mostly only ever had frozen brussel sprouts so that is just what brussel sprouts are like to me, to some extent.  I have never purchased or prepared them any other way. 
 

 

Edited November 20, 2020 by Lecka

[Lecka]

Frozen broccoli is definitely my favorite frozen vegetable, too.  
 

 

[MEmama]

I use a lot of frozen peppers. IME they are fine in any nearly cooked dish or soup. This year I grew 18 pepper plants and was able to freeze most of what I’ll need this winter; fresh peppers are expensive here so I use a lot of bags of frozen. 
 

I also keep frozen broccoli on hand for a quick side veggie. I find frozen spinach convenient for lasagna, etc. I froze lots of kale from our farm box for soups this winter.

[Lecka]

I like peppers from bags of “stir-fry vegetables,” too.  

[Carrie12345]

I also tend to go with stir-fry type methods. Sometimes with Asian flavors, but also with butter, garlic, lemon, salt, pepper, and balsamic for a lot of things.  Maybe some Parmesan, too.  I’m not personally a big fan, but the rest of my family will pretty much eat any vegetable I throw at them that way.

[Ausmumof3]

Yep my fam will only eat them in curries etc.  Can you grow a pot of lettuce there or is it too cold?

[Katy]

I steam them as a side dish (especially broccoli or green beans) or just throw them in when used as an ingredient (usually chopped greens in rice or soups).  I usually find they are easier and higher quality than fresh, but that greatly depends on which brand I purchase. 

[Laura Corin]

40 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Yep my fam will only eat them in curries etc.  Can you grow a pot of lettuce there or is it too cold?

Thanks.  I just ordered some seeds.  I have a dilapidated unheated greenhouse; supposedly you can grow the salad I ordered through the winter, so I'll give that a go. 

[Clemsondana]

We grow tons of green beans so we freeze and eat them all winter.  I often saute with garlic or sometimes bacon and slivered almonds for variety.  I keep frozen carrots for a couple of dishes.  When my kids were little I used to lightly boil carrots in apple or orange juice for a quick side.  My brown sugar-dijon mustard glazed carrot coins starts with slicing and parboiling, so frozen substitutes fine in that (I had a recipe at one time, but basically you just cook a few minutes with some course ground mustand, butter, and brown sugar after you have drained the lightly cooked carrots).  Frozen bell pepper and onion are fine in cooked things like chili, sloppy joes, or taco meat.  Frozen bell pepper strips do OK for things like fajitas or steak or sausage sandwiches if you sear them a bit - i know that some people like them more crisp-tender, but my people like them cooked with the onions until soft.

[Arctic Bunny]

Our favourites are stir fry mixes, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, artichoke hearts, beets, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash.

Don't forget fruit: cherries, strawberries, berry mixes, peaches....

[J-rap]

My favorite frozen veggies are green beans, corn, and peas.  The trick is to not overcook them.   Oh, I do like frozen spinach too.  

When our kids were young, we'd cook frozen veggies and then add a little mayo, dill seed, thyme, salt and pepper.  That little extra flavoring made such a difference!  I don't think that would be good with a lot of frozen veggies though, but it works well with the traditional ones:  peas, green beans, corn, and the veggie mixes such as peas, lima beans, carrots, corn, etc.  

Otherwise, the other frozen veggies generally go into soups, stews, casseroles, pasta dishes. (We have a lot of those in the winter, so it's easy to use up frozen veggies in the winter.)

[ktgrok]

I like them okay in the air fryer, or roasted but I thaw them first, to release the extra water. 

[Lecka]

Frozen butternut squash has not been on my radar!  Will have to check it out 🙂. 
 

I have only eaten beets out of a jar — I like them.  Same with artichoke hearts — I have only had them out of a jar — I like them also.  

[Carol in Cal.]

Frozen green beans are pretty good in cold salads, not cooked.

[Selkie]

The quality of the frozen vegetables matters a lot. Schwan's frozen vegetables are the best, hands down, that I've ever had. They're so good that I just toss them frozen on a cookie sheet and roast them and they taste pretty much the same as fresh.

[Arctic Bunny]

Just now, Selkie said:

The quality of the frozen vegetables matters a lot. Schwan's frozen vegetables are the best, hands down, that I've ever had. They're so good that I just toss them frozen on a cookie sheet and roast them and they taste pretty much the same as fresh.

I was going to add this. Around here, Arctic Garden is pretty much the best all around. It really seems to be an instance of you get what you pay for. For example, I rarely buy fresh green beans, as the frozen ones are much better quality than what I’ll find out of season in the store. Same with corn, broccoli... well, really, all the things I listed. Especially fruit. Buying frozen is much more reliable, and cheaper.

[Laura Corin]

1 minute ago, Arctic Bunny said:

I was going to add this. Around here, Arctic Garden is pretty much the best all around. It really seems to be an instance of you get what you pay for. For example, I rarely buy fresh green beans, as the frozen ones are much better quality than what I’ll find out of season in the store. Same with corn, broccoli... well, really, all the things I listed. Especially fruit. Buying frozen is much more reliable, and cheaper.

Husband just bought some at Marks and Spencer, which is a slightly higher-end shop, so it will be interesting to see if we can tell the difference.  I'm going to make a tofu and frozen veg curry for supper, with fresh veg on the side, and see how it goes.  Thanks!

[Arctic Bunny]

Just now, Laura Corin said:

Husband just bought some at Marks and Spencer, which is a slightly higher-end shop, so it will be interesting to see if we can tell the difference.  I'm going to make a tofu and frozen veg curry for supper, with fresh veg on the side, and see how it goes.  Thanks!

Best of luck! I think it’s also one of those things you just get used to over time 🙂

[cjzimmer1]

If you are looking to retain a bit more "tooth", I've found that frozen riced cauliflower stays much firmer than frozen cauliflower florets.  I suspect because there is more of the stem in there but you don't notice it shopped up like that.

[kbutton]

1 hour ago, cjzimmer1 said:

If you are looking to retain a bit more "tooth", I've found that frozen riced cauliflower stays much firmer than frozen cauliflower florets.  I suspect because there is more of the stem in there but you don't notice it shopped up like that.

You can also buy chopped broccoli sometimes that is similar that way--it's good for casseroles or soups. 

I agree about quality, though I don't think quality and price always match. We like some store brands better than national brands. 

I love petite green beans frozen, but I don't care for regular green beans frozen (but will eat them). They are generally harvested at larger sizes than we like, but the same is true at the Farmer's Market, lol! 

[prairiewindmomma]

We use a lot of frozen veg....for budget reasons in winter.  It's definitely not good roasted.  How are you preparing it when you steam? Are you adding a touch of butter and spices?  I can barely tolerate steamed mixed veg on it's own, but it's lovely steamed with a tiny bit of butter & salt and pepper.  Likewise, I love them in soups, casseroles, etc. 

[Sneezyone]

We roast frozen PETITE green beans (the long, skinny ones) with a strip of bacon wrapped around 'em. We drizzle on scratch Catalina dressing and sprinkle with garlic( fresh or powder) and pepper. When baked, these little bean bundles are VERY tasty. Those and edamame are the only frozen veggies we eat tho. I usually boil the edamame in salted water and toss with soy sauce, sesame oil, chili sauce, fresh garlic and a smidge of sugar.

Edited November 20, 2020 by Sneezyone

[wathe]

There are definitely quality differences between brands of frozen veggies.  We pay more for a premium brand because the quality difference is really noticeable.

We use:

Frozen spinach (quiche, lasagne, soup). 

Frozen kale (steam-fried, or slow cooked with sausages). 

Frozen green beans - these are good steamed or roasted, but only if we buy the good brand

Frozen broccoli - steamed or roasted.  Brand really matters for this one too.

Frozen Cauliflower - steamed, roasted or in soup

Frozen butternut squash - roasted or soup

[Sneezyone]

6 minutes ago, Sneezyone said:

We roast frozen PETITE green beans (the long, skinny ones) with a strip of bacon wrapped around 'em. We drizzle on scratch Catalina dressing and sprinkle with garlic( fresh or powder) and pepper. When baked, these little bean bundles are VERY tasty. Those and edamame are the only frozen veggies we eat tho. I usually boil the edamame in salted water and toss with soy sauce, sesame oil, chili sauce, fresh garlic and a smidge of sugar.

ETA: I thought of one more! I keep a bag of frozen peas and carrots on hand to toss into fried rice. I could probably use frozen corn to make corn fritters too but I've never tried. I usually use canned.

Edited November 20, 2020 by Sneezyone

[Pen]

5 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Thanks.  I just ordered some seeds.  I have a dilapidated unheated greenhouse; supposedly you can grow the salad I ordered through the winter, so I'll give that a go. 

Please let me know what happens with them.

I have done vegetable gardening for many years on and off and had a really bad result this year. I am thinking it could be weather or wildfire ash related.  But I heard something very similar from someone in a far location and it made me wonder if there’s something else going on.  Seeds sprouted, but did not grow significantly like normal. 
 

Frozen veg we like: 

in re frozen vegetables: stir fry of all sorts - add veg really late so as not to over cook

seasoning can make or break the taste

Buttered and seasoned  creamed spinach (like mushy peas or less mushy -“ a comfort food”) can also be kale or collards

okra if you can get it sautéed with seasonings including some cayenne is excellent imo

egg With mixed vegetables scrambles or omelette form  (spinach, broccoli, peppers, onion, especially good)  meat and cheese can be added too

squash and or greens can be used as filling for gnocchi 

Pasta primavera  or  

pasta with meat sauce with mixed in veg

Add to pizza toppings

[prairiewindmomma]

Pen, I planted spinach the 2nd week of August and have had a lovely crop. I wish I had planted more, as I can’t get new seeds to germinate. 

[Melissa in Australia]

6 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Thanks.  I just ordered some seeds.  I have a dilapidated unheated greenhouse; supposedly you can grow the salad I ordered through the winter, so I'll give that a go. 

I have watched some gardening youtubers from  England and Scotland. Personally I have no idea about veggie timing over there but am wondering that It might be too late for seeds. You might need to get seedlings. 

Though I have seen some Charles Dowding (not sure of spelling) and he makes a compost heap right in his greenhouse and that is enough to warm it up to grow some things  all through winter

Edited November 20, 2020 by Melissa in Australia

[Pen]

7 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Pen, I planted spinach the 2nd week of August and have had a lovely crop. I wish I had planted more, as I can’t get new seeds to germinate. 

my spring plants were normal 

I don’t know when I tried to plant a winter crop, but for me I did get germination but then at about 1/2 to 1” tall stunted...   no more development   I had been thinking it was due to ash and or too low light so that winter conditions were applying from the smoke, plants going into extremely premature dormancy

 

(but then a friend in an area without smoke issues had same problem)

Edited November 20, 2020 by Pen

[cjzimmer1]

If you haven't grown your own sprouts, that's another thing I would consider.  Very easy (as long as you remember to rinse them everyday) and fresh veggies in about 5 days.  I never grew them before but started this spring when everything went crazy.  I was glad I did because it was over 3 months before I could reliably find any kind of fresh lettuce/greens this spring.  I let off for the summer because I had plenty of stuff from my garden but I'll be starting them up again shortly because they really did provide a nice fresh tasty treat during the long period of only having access to canned/frozen stuff.

[prairiewindmomma]

Pen, our ash fall was light, and Dh kept things fairly rinsed with watering. It would coat plants, but they weren’t dealing with weeks of leaf coverage. We continued to harvest tomatoes, etc through the same period without a lot of plant stress. If anything, the very heavy rains we have had have been more stressful to my garden. (We are at low enough elevation we’ve been getting rain and not snow.) I keep finding my plants floating in the morning, and I have to tip some of the barrels and pour off a few inches of rain to aid drainage. I think I may lose all of my strawberries. The spinach is happy, though. My thyme is frost-affected by my other herbs are happy and my lavender is still blooming.

[mathnerd]

7 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Thanks.  I just ordered some seeds.  I have a dilapidated unheated greenhouse; supposedly you can grow the salad I ordered through the winter, so I'll give that a go. 

Kale! Grow a lot of varieties of kale in your greenhouse, they will get tastier when it gets colder. I also grow collards, spinach, swiss chard, green onions, chives and broccoli in the winter. If your dilapidated greenhouse is somewhat sheltered from the elements, you can grow other things like carrots, beets etc. (I follow Charles Dowding on youtube and he might have region specific tips for you: https://www.youtube.com/c/CharlesDowding1nodig/videos ).

Also consider starting an indoor herb garden. You could also easily set up kratky style small hydroponic containers indoors.

Sprouting is an easy way to access fresh vegetables when they are not available. I use sprouted chickpeas and other beans in stews, curries etc. (be very careful because certain beans like Kidney beans become toxic when sprouted).

 As for frozen, I use frozen carrots, green beans and corn in fried rice. I use frozen cauliflower and broccoli in curries with gravy. I also  keep riced cauliflower in the freezer which i use for rice substitute or added to other dishes.

Edited November 20, 2020 by mathnerd

[Laura Corin]

2 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said:

I have watched some gardening youtubers from  England and Scotland. Personally I have no idea about veggie timing over there but am wondering that It might be too late for seeds. You might need to get seedlings. 

Though I have seen some Charles Dowding (not sure of spelling) and he makes a compost heap right in his greenhouse and that is enough to warm it up to grow some things  all through winter

I would need to start them over a radiator indoors then harden them off slowly.  I've done something similar before.

[Laura Corin]

1 hour ago, cjzimmer1 said:

If you haven't grown your own sprouts, that's another thing I would consider.  Very easy (as long as you remember to rinse them everyday) and fresh veggies in about 5 days.  I never grew them before but started this spring when everything went crazy.  I was glad I did because it was over 3 months before I could reliably find any kind of fresh lettuce/greens this spring.  I let off for the summer because I had plenty of stuff from my garden but I'll be starting them up again shortly because they really did provide a nice fresh tasty treat during the long period of only having access to canned/frozen stuff.

I do make sprouts regularly.  Husband isn't so keen on them but it's  a lunch option for sure.

[Laura Corin]

My Kerala-style curry with frozen peppers,  spinach and green beans was a success. The peppers were sauted with the onions at the beginning,  but the other two veg went in near the end.  I couldn't taste the spinach, but the beans tasted good and had a firm texture. So that was successful.  Thanks,  everyone. 

[Starr]

We mainly use frozen for stir fry. Hopefully you will have some fresh things seasonally. Can you buy into a local farm co-op?

 

 

 

[Laura Corin]

9 minutes ago, Starr said:

We mainly use frozen for stir fry. Hopefully you will have some fresh things seasonally. Can you buy into a local farm co-op?

We get a veg box every week but they close for their annual holidays in January and February. 

[alisoncooks]

We roast broccoli and cauliflower using the recipes from Budget Bytes. 

https://www.budgetbytes.com/oven-roasted-frozen-broccoli/

https://www.budgetbytes.com/spicy-roasted-cauliflower-cheese-sauce/

We also frequently use frozen pepper/onion blend and riced cauliflower (cooked on a flat top grill/griddle).  I use frozen chopped onions in soupy crockpot recipes. (I hate chopping onions!) 

[ScoutTN]

Lots of butter and salt! 😉

[Melissa in Australia]

If you have a cold, unheated room like a shed or garage you can store whole heads of cabbage and pumpkins  and root veggies like carrots, parsnip, turnips and beetroot can be packed in sand. 

If you think there may be trouble finding fresh veggies soon then maybe buy some to store

[Ausmumof3]

Oh yes!  Stock up on pumpkins they can be stored for ages and the seeds are yummy roasted too.

[Ausmumof3]

kale and silver beet etc are really handy to grow because even if not super successful you always have something unlike the crops that have to fruit to be edible.  

[Laura Corin]

7 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said:

If you have a cold, unheated room like a shed or garage you can store whole heads of cabbage and pumpkins  and root veggies like carrots, parsnip, turnips and beetroot can be packed in sand. 

If you think there may be trouble finding fresh veggies soon then maybe buy some to store

I have to think about that. We do have that kind of space, but we also have mice. I'll have a think about mouse-proof containers.

6 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Oh yes!  Stock up on pumpkins they can be stored for ages and the seeds are yummy roasted too.

We are not big pumpkin fans but I  like butternut squash. 

6 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

kale and silver beet etc are really handy to grow because even if not super successful you always have something unlike the crops that have to fruit to be edible.  

Thanks. I  work full time so I  have to think about time investment,  so that's a good tip.

[lewelma]

19 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

supposedly you can grow the salad I ordered through the winter, so I'll give that a go. 

You can also buy mushroom spores to grow fresh mushrooms at home. They do well any time of the year.  

[Rosie_0801]

12 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

I do make sprouts regularly.  Husband isn't so keen on them but it's  a lunch option for sure.

Have you tried sunflower lettuce? That's one of the tastier ones, I think. They like indirect sun light. I've had success growing them in a sunny window sill and in a shade house. They might like your radiator too.

[Laura Corin]

17 minutes ago, Rosie_0801 said:

Have you tried sunflower lettuce? That's one of the tastier ones, I think. They like indirect sun light. I've had success growing them in a sunny window sill and in a shade house. They might like your radiator too.

No, I  haven't.  Thank you.

[Pam in CT]

On 11/20/2020 at 4:54 AM, Laura Corin said:

Brexit is due at the end of the year with no deal with the EU currently in place, nor with most other countries.  I have no confidence that fresh food supplies will be maintained - we rely on the EU, particularly in winter, and on north Africa too.  The UK is densely populated and has a lot of uncultivable land - we are apparently 133rd in the world in terms of agricultural land per head of population.

https://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/stats/Agriculture/Agricultural-land/Sq.-km-per-1000

We have stocked our freezer with meat and have good supplies of beans and rice.  We are not big fans of frozen veg apart from peas, broad beans, edamame and corn (not a veg, I know, but...).  The other frozen veg we have bought has not had a great texture when steamed or roasted.  I'm thinking that we should be buying a good supply but only expecting to eat it in soups, curries, stews, etc.  Does that sound right?

Any tips or ideas?

Before COVID, the only frozen vegs we ever ate were spinach (sauteed with olive oil, garlic and half an onion), or plonked into spanakopita, quiche, omelettes etc), peas (tossed into any number of things), and in a pinch french green beans (sauteed with olive oil and topped off with toasted slivered almonds).

My early COVID provisioning challenges threw me into something of a panic, which for me actually went beyond frozen, since my freezer space is limited (and filling up with meats) and if we were really staring down months and months of limited provisions (a fear which, happily, has thus far not happened), I had also to consider -- truly for the first time in my life -- CANNED vegetables.

My summer Victory Garden was modestly successful, and definitely kept us at least in fresh salads, zucchini, fresh green beans, and occasional side dishes throughout end-September. But. Now it's winter, and while my lettuce, beets and spinach are staying ALIVE... they really don't GROW with any kind of oomph.  I don't think at this point I could successfully start any new lettuces (so once we've eaten out these ones, that'll be that).  I didn't do cabbages -- if God forbid we're still living this next summer I will, but other than St Patrick's Day and kimchi we never eat cabbage so I'm not sure what I'd do with it...

But anyway. What I worked out in those Provision Panic days was: I am really, really sensitive to the CRUNCH of vegetables. I don't really cook fresh vegetables, it's more like waving them near some heat source until they're slightly warm.  My problem with frozen and (sigh) canned vegetables is, first and foremost, a problem with TEXTURE, not so much with taste.  (Many frozen vegetables taste just fine... if I'm able to put aside the lack of crunch.  But once a veg has been frozen or canned, there *is no restoration of crunch.*  Once it's gone, it's gone.)

So I ended up collecting, not so much a list of vegs, but a list of principles:

• Ways to make long life veg TASTE better: Generous use of butter, carmelized onion, and garlic (all of which Scotland should be able to continue to produce post-Brexit), and salt.  Regular use of spices you can keep going through the winter (rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano should all do OK in a dilapidated unheated greenhouse; you might even be able to keep chives and walking onion going -- I'm trying in my cold frames). Selected use of jarred ingredients like chipotles, sun dried tomatoes, soy sauce, sherry and truffle vinegar, dried mushrooms.  A bit of grated parmesan on top of green vegs, or a bit of crumbled feta on top of beets.
• Ways to add some CRUNCH to otherwise soggy long life veg:  Toasted nuts are the easiest and most reliable. Sliced or slivered almonds work on almost anything; toasted cashews added at the last moment give crunch to otherwise soggy stirfries; ground toasted peanuts or sunflower seeds are nice on whipped-up squashes/pumpkins etc.  Onions and carrots should be available post-Brexit -- add some very lightly waved before a heat source slivers to whatever soggy green stuff at hand. Fresh bean sprouts atop soggy green spinach. Here, we can buy cans of fried onion, which are both tasty and crunchy atop almost anything, as are shelf-stable fried wontons.   In a pinch, toast up some croutons out of leftover bread, or break up crackers/hunks of plantain chips/cheerios. Anything for a bit of crunch.
• Techniques - Unlike many pp, I am not on Team Steam.  Good for fresh-out-of-the-garden, but for frozen or canned, I'm looking for techniques that drain out as much excess water as possible, then add back as much cooking-derived flavor as possible. So, thaw & thoroughtly drain, then figure some method of cooking that best imparts the taste of the oil/butter/garlic/chipotles/whatever (for me: most often sauteeing).  If I roast -- good for frozen brussel sprounts and BELIEVE IT OR NOT canned asparagus-- I do it on a dried cookie sheet until they are very nearly burnt, and briefly roast a couple of onions separately so they stay crunchy, then add them together at the last moment.

I'm cautiously optimistic I'll be able to keep carrots, beets and spinach going fresh throughout the winter in my cold frames. I don't think I could *start* them now, though. I'm afraid there just aren't enough hours of sun... and you have fewer hours than I do.  And I have loads of spaghetti and butternut squash from the summer garden that will hold us through Feb at least... again, for next year, since it's too late to get them going now.

 

 

re canned chicken:

On 11/20/2020 at 6:19 AM, Lecka said:

II will add that canned chicken is not bad at all in a casserole.  I have never cooked with it but I have eaten it.  I have thought it tasted good.  

I sautee  up with an onion and a bunch of chipotles, adobo sauce, and paprika and we use it for tacos / burritos etc. It works fine.

I also use canned salmon for curries: also fine.

 

 

 

15 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

We get a veg box every week but they close for their annual holidays in January and February. 

Wow, all through the winter?  Our famers markets and CSAs and everything shut down by end-October; and don't pick back up again until end-April. Does that mean local farmers are actually producing through December, and back up in March?

If so, Scotland will be fine, eventually. There'll be some hiccups but temporary.