Eating from the garden in winter
We still have carrots and beets in the fridge, garlic, sweet potatoes, and squash on the basement shelves (full disclosure: the squash is from the farmer's market. I had a bad squash year.)
But I also have frozen beans, chard, roasted peppers, and okra in the freezer downstairs. I also have canned jams, whole plums in light syrup, apple sauce, and broth, as well as dried apples, dried plums, and half a jar of kimchee in the fridge.
One of my favorite things to make when it is cold out is gumbo because I use so much garden produce months after the garden is done and it makes me feel all "pioneer woman" or something. I use frozen sliced okra and frozen roasted peppers (usually sweet Ajvarski peppers).
When I have a large squash, I puree whatever doesn't get eaten right away and freeze 2 cups per Ziploc bag to use in pumpkin bars. If there is just a little bit left, I feed it to my cats. Seriously. If I mix a few tablespoons of cooked, mashed squash (or sweet potato) in with canned cat food, my cats are happy to chow it down and they are fuller. I think it's good for them (but I'm not a vet.) I can say I've been doing this for a couple of years now and they have no problems with it. They eat dead houseplant leaves and lick bacon grease out of pans, so I think we are OK with squash.
Kvass is a fermented beet beverage. People who are into kombucha can probably get into kvass, if they like beets, at least. Basically, you take a beet, wash it well (I also use a potato peeler on mine, because I store my beets unwashed for so long it is hard to get them 100% clean), and then cut it up into small pieces. You take a glass jar and fill it half way with cut up beet pieces and add some salt. I generally use a quart jar and I add maybe 1/4 teaspoon of course salt (if it is fine, you might want less.) Add water to fill to 1 inch from the top of the jar. The less chlorine in the water, the better, so I use water I've boiled and let cool down. Filtered water would also be preferable to ordinary tap water.
I like to add some dried dill to mine -- just a sprinkle -- but other people don't season at all or they add ginger or allspice or orange peel, etc. It is totally up to you. Then I stir it up and put it on a counter for 12 to 24 hours with just a clean dishcloth over the top. After a day, I put a lid on the jar and I shake it a couple times a day. After about 4 or 5 days I taste it. It should be starting to ferment and taste a bit sour. Because I add dill to mine, it tastes a bit like regular pickle juice. I would say that in the fall and winter, which is when I make it, the house is usually cooler and so it takes about 7 days to get to where I like it. I think it would go much faster in a warm house. And it is a matter or taste -- some people like it more sour than others. Once it is ready, drink it and/or store it in the fridge for up to a month at least. Probably longer. Because this is a pretty powerful pro-biotic, I would not drink more than 1/4 cup right away. You want to give your system a chance to get used to the microbes a little at a time. If you are buying a beet to use for this, buy local and go organic. I don't think I'd bother with a conventionally-grown beet.
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