making peace with the deep freeze

I'm not a fan of frozen foods. My family didn't cook too much (remember those chow mein cans that were connected with a plastic tie, dry stuff in one can, wet stuff in the other?). Once 1980 hit and our kitchen welcomed the microwave, our non-cooking and perpetually dieting family lived on Lean Cuisines and Weight Watchers meals. We occasionally busted out with frozen rectangular cubes of slippery brussel sprouts or spinach. This is why it hasn't been easy for me to embrace frozen foods.

As the temperature drops to freezing outside and the fresh local food disappears, I'm left with a challenge.

I've been making a good solid go at pickling, and have, for the first time, set up a root cellar (though not so glam as this earth sheltered lovely). After many fights with myself, I also blanched and froze a lot of veggies from the farm. I'm happy to report that my first test, frozen greens added to a stir fry, tasted wonderful, and even kept a decent texture. As my relationship with the cold both inside and out improves, those rectangular veggie cubes that tasted like freezer can be a fading memory.