Try trading or swapping for some food too, sans money, to provide diversity for your pantry. There are several models out there, like portlandfoodexchange.com, mefoodtrader.org and mafoodtrader.org. There might be one in your local community!

We just had a bumper crop and I processed about 5 pounds of them into a soup and another 15 lbs into pickles. There are some good choke pickle recipes online. I’m not sure how we will ever get through it all, though!

This is also similar to what they call “Rumtopf” in German. The fruit possibilities are endless and you just keep adding throughout the summer.

We made this recipe with some beautiful short ribs. I’m not sure it justified a special trip to the store to get Tamarind paste or taking the time to blacken tomatoes. Maybe some good substitutes would be roasted tomatoes in a can and molasses. Orange zest is critical though, and lasts through the extended cooking time. We served with made-from-dry black beans, pickled red onions and some farmers cheese and cilantro. Be sure to serve in corn tortillas--flour tortillas just don’t do it.

Gooseberries!