It is time! Now that all the seeds have been planted, I’ve started a list of what we’ll do with all the produce (assuming it will all grow!!). What we don’t grow, I’ll tap the Farmer’s Markets around the area to buy produce in larger quantities to fill in.
My project list includes applesauce, pickle relish and pizza sauce. These will require my food processor. It has been stored in extra cupboards in the garage. It is not a light appliance, so I had to rearrange things to bring it into the kitchen storage. Since I’m not using my blender very often, I’ll swap it with the food processor.
Here’s the space I’m rearranging in the kitchen. Bert built this table with storage space below a few years ago and added a pull-out drawer so I can easily reach the appliances and lift them to the table. My stand mixer is stored here all the time…it’s too heavy to move any further and I use it frequently.
The salad spinner was stored to the right of the mixer, but I haven’t used it since last summer when I grew leaf lettuce. It really was not very useful and took up a lot of space. In fact, it was piled with extra flour and cereal boxes that needed to be stored someplace else!
The one main project I have in mind for the summer produce is what to do with zucchini! This is the first year we have grown it and I’m a little nervous about getting overrun with zucchini! I’ve bee collecting recipes with ideas but one appliance seems to be mentioned frequently…the air fryer!
I have one and have used it occasionally but it is so big I can’t let it sit on the counter. By moving the spinner and assorted stuff out of the table cupboard I should have room to store it right in the kitchen. Then all I have to do is open the doors, roll out the drawer and lift the air fryer to the table. Much better!
Speaking of what to do with zucchini, recipes often mention shredding or spirializing the vegetable. I can shred with my food processor, but I had forgotten I had two boxes of attachments for my mixer that would let me do the same. The boxes were unearthed when I started rearranging stuff in the garage cupboards. I can see I’ll have lots of choices as I make plans for the zucchini!
Box of Attachments #1
Box of Attachments #2
Now, my kitchen appliances are in the right places when the produce is ready. Of course, all three projects mentioned at the beginning will require canning when they are done. Bert will then have to bring the HUGE HEAVY Pressure canner up from basement storage and we’ll work around it for a few weeks. We do the canning in the garage so I don’t have to worry about making space to store the canner!
I think vegetable gardeners are the most optimistic people…we have visions of bounty from the garden…and often forget that weather, bugs and plant diseases will influence how the growing season goes! Enjoy!