what goes in must come out

When I moved into the farmhouse now more than ten years ago, it was empty. Ed had been living in the sheep shed. I brought in my own furniture, though with a few exceptions. The washer and dryer in the basement were his. A table in the kitchen was his gift to this place. And there was a freezer chest. We put it in the basement. I didn't think much about it until I started freezing tomatoes.

I noticed that there was stuff already in the freezer. Baggies of unidentifiable stuff. Berries? Tomatoes? Mush? And he added stuff. Those left over rolls from the wedding dinner? Into a bag and into the freezer. The turkey rib cage from some Thanksgiving dinner? Frozen and saved. And soon forgotten. That was the problem: what went in, stayed there.

A few of years ago, I announced a freezer cleaning day. I needed space for the tomatoes. And for other produce that I was beginning to freeze. Corn. Rhubarb. All used by me come winter. 

That cleaning day was a bust. We emptied almost nothing. And so I put in a piece of cardboard, giving over a third of freezer space for his ancient stuff. The rest I used for all those foods that are actually in circulation here at the farmhouse.

Well that was fine until today.

Our CSA farmers announced (for members only) a u-pick roma tomato day today. Superb prices, exceptionally good tomatoes. Sure, I'd already stocked up some for the winter, but we could use more. Winter chilies are so good! So we signed up.

 

It's a warm morning and we surely will have a very warm day. I move quickly through my morning chores.

(It's the time of the year when you really celebrate the annuals in the tubs!)

Breakfast.

And we are off! We have to first pick up market produce. Mushrooms, carrots, flowers, cheese curds. And now we're heading south. 

It's a pretty drive to Tipi organic produce farm! I'd been there picking strawberries in June. I like the way these guys farm and I love their CSA boxes. 

And, it turns out I really like their tomatoes. Ed and I set to work and we cannot stop. Pounds and pounds, buckets and buckets of plump, sweet smelling tomatoes.

(With Steve, the copartner of Tipi)

We will be in tomato heaven all winter long!

 

Except -- where do we store them? In the freezer that's already nearly full? I need his third of freezer space! Down we go to sort through freezer stuff once again. Out come the same packets of ancient berries or are they baby tomatoes? Who knows. Some have dates. I see 2007 written on the bag. The turkey carcass -- I wonder which Thanksgiving that belongs too... Haven't we had this conversation already? 

I should not have asked. I should have dumped it all into Ed's newly expanded compost space. Here, this one, with dirt moved out and logs from fallen tree neatly stacked.

So don't tell anyone, but I managed to hide one of the bags of turkey bones. Out it will go with this week's garbage. The rest? Well, he now has a sixth of the freezer for all his old junk. We are making progress!