Party leftovers and all the produce coming in

We had our party and now there is all the leftovers.  Since we had a salad bar, there are lots of chopped up vegetables and fruit. I sent some things home with my sister's who helped clean up and take everything out of cars when we got home, but there still was lots of containers in my frig.  

We ate salads for a couple days until all the lettuce and spinach was eaten up.  We also wound our way through other veggies that were not going to freeze such as cucumbers.  I started with a few trays, some sheets of waxed paper, and the most time sensitive vegetables first.  I was able to freeze lots of cut up produce to use in future cooking.  Here's a list of things that will freeze well after such a party:

• onions
• mushrooms
• black olives
• carrots
• celery
• peppers, all kinds
• meats, in meal size containers
• kohlrabi
• berries
• watermelon

I now have so many options to grab out and add to dishes for a quick meal.  My peach tree that I just planted also came in with fruit this week.  After the first peach fell, I took off the net and picked the rest.  Ripe peaches will go on you quickly.  After just a day or two, many started getting brown spots.  Tonight I peeled, sliced, and froze those for future smoothies.  I only had about 15 peaches, but they are so delicious and sweet.  I look forward to spreading out their flavor just a little longer.  

Tomatoes are coming in so salsa will be on the schedule for canning soon.  It is a big job cutting everything up, but I do love the taste of summer all winter long.  Homemade salsa is so much better.  I read recently that heat releases lycopene in tomatoes.  Canned salsa is actually more healthy than fresh according to the article.  Who am I to argue.