Quick canning can save those fresh vegges

I have the best intentions of cooking all sorts of fresh ingredients every week, but the week usually has other plans. The weeknights get busy, and the weekends fly by, and before I know it, my best-laid plans are rotting on my counter.

Last week, I had a farm-fresh basket of tomatoes and a few summer squash that weren’t going to make it through the hectic week barreling our way. I decided to make something with them Sunday afternoon and tuck them in the fridge for later use. I didn’t have enough time or ingredients for a full canning session, but these two quick fixes saved these veggies.

Vodka sauce is my favorite pasta sauce, hands down. This recipe didn’t require a lot from me and will be ready when I need to save a little dinner-cooking time this week. It’s rich and creamy and best of all, it’s all natural and fresh.

I love sweet bread-and-butter pickles. They make a lovely summer side dish. Using yellow squash in place of cucumbers makes them pretty and even sweeter.

Quick preserving, freezing and make-ahead techniques don’t take a lot of time, but will save your food and a little money in the long run. If you see a wild week coming, take a minute to save the ingredients you have so they won’t languish in your kitchen, making you feel even more short on time.

Vodka Tomato Sauce

Yields 2 cups sauce (4 servings). Recipe is by Teresa B. Day.

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 large tomatoes, halved and seeded

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 small, sweet onion, cut in rings

3 garlic cloves, whole

1/4 cup basil leaves

1/3 cup vodka

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup half and half

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Prepare a baking pan with foil or parchment paper coated with olive oil.

2. Slice the tomatoes in half. Discard the pulp and seeds.

3. Place the tomatoes cut side up on the pan.

4. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Scatter onion rings, garlic cloves and basil leaves on and around the tomatoes.

6. Roast in oven for 1 1/2 hours.

7. Once cool, place tomatoes in a food processor and puree until smooth.

8. Transfer to a sauce pan.

9. Bring tomatoes to a simmer then stir in vodka and balsamic vinegar. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes.

10. Stir in half and half and heat through. Serve immediately over cooked pasta or cool and store until ready to use. Can be made up to one week ahead.

Bread-and-Butter Pickled Squash

Yields 4 pint jars. Recipe is by Teresa B. Day.

6 small yellow squash

1 small sweet onion

1/4 cup pickling spice

3 cups white vinegar

2 tablespoons sea salt

3 cups sugar

1. Wash squash and slice about 1/8-inch thick. Slice onion into thin rings.

2. Sterilize 4 pint-sized jars in boiling water for 10 minutes or run them in the dishwasher on a sanitize setting.

3. Alternate squash and onion slices in each jar while warm. Top each jar with 1 tablespoon pickling spice.

4. In a medium saucepan, bring vinegar, salt and sugar to boil on medium-high heat. Stir constantly to dissolve. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.

5. While hot, carefully pour squash in jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace in each jar.

6. Lid each jar and refrigerate.

7. Shake jars once a day for the first week to blend flavors.

8. Store refrigerated up to 2 months.

Teresa B. Day is a local food writer and author of the “I Eat BR” blog. Contact her at [email protected].