November 14, 2011
(last updated April 29, 2014) 
Once upon a time in my early twenties, before I had taught myself how to cook, the thought of “entertaining”–or even cooking for my roommate–struck a bolt of fear deep into my heart. I could barely manage to make dinner for myself without burning something: how on earth could I be expected to elegantly construct a meal for four people, or ten? How would my peculiar food tastes translate into a meal that everyone would enjoy? Was I supposed to prepare a lot of small dishes, or just hope that I could pull off a giant casserole? Did I have to know things about wine?
These are all normal questions for a 22-year old to ask herself as she contemplates serving food and drink to other people. In my case, there were some unusual anxieties, too, because I hadn’t yet reached a moment in my recovery where I could casually break bread with other people. Restaurant dining made me anxious, as did eating in front of others. The prospect of being a hostess–a job that seems to demand such ease around food and cooking that one can put guests at ease, too–seemed like an unlikely fit for me.
Oh, how the times have changed. Entertaining is now one of the things I most love to do. This is not only because it gives me a chance to relish company, but also because it’s a fantastic opportunity to cook, cook, and cook some more. Like many passionate foodies, I show and share love through my cooking, and often find that a cookie or casserole or bowl of chocomole is more powerful that countless avowals of affection. Dinner parties, party parties, and candlelit meals at home give me a chance to put all of the affection exuberance I feel for the people close to me directly on the table.
Of course, entertaining is anything but a pleasure when you’re stressed about details. Now that I’m a student again, I’m basically incapable of weeknight cooking: I can make food on Sundays, and I can make it during some pockets between class during the week. If I want to have a guest or two over for a weeknight supper, I have to plan well in advance. This month, I have at least two dinners that fall on nights where I’m in class till quite late. This means that I need to have entrees that are essentially ready to serve, but which showcase the hard work and love that I like to pour into my cooking.
A few weeks ago, as I pondered how to pull this off without a hitch, I emailed a couple of friends for advice. What I wanted to know was whether or not I might easily freeze an entree in advance; all of them said yes, and graciously offered me suggestions. Angela thought that her butternut squash burritos might freeze well; I’ll be finding out when I make them for a quick dinner party next week. Dreena suggested either her chickpea tart or her chickpea ratatouille, which sound fantastic, and will be on various menus of mine during Thanksgiving weekend. And Ricki, whose recipes have never failed me, suggested that a table of omnivore diners might enjoy her meaty lasagna. I made it, adding a few tweaks and twists of my own, and it was a huge hit.
What I’ve realized over the course of these entertaining adventures is that having frozen things at the ready makes life almost totally stress-free. So it’s a new goal of mine to share some freezer-friendly recipes with you from time to time. Frozen entrees are key, but I actually find that it’s equally important to have pre-made or frozen accoutrements: mini pizza crusts for appetizers, a pantry stocked with beans for last minute party dips, vegan pie crust that can be used at any time for tarts or desserts, and, believe it or not, pesto.
Why pesto? Because pesto is like nutritional yeast: it makes everything better. It takes a boring white bean dip and turns it into a brightly flavored masterpiece; it elevates pasta dishes to new heights; it adds depth and exquisite taste to roast veggies, and it tends to make any salad even better. I’m a huge fan of pesto, and I use it in tons of my recipes (to start, my ).
I’ve been making walnut pesto regularly for years, and it was not until this month that I realized that the stuff can be frozen. Painlessly. Pesto freezes really, really, really well, and it’s useful not only to have around, but also as a means of using up your summer basil, if you happen to have a garden. You can freeze it in tupperware (per my photo), in a freezer bag, or even in ice cube trays (an ingenious trick I just learned about). It ought to last for at least a few months, because the garlic and lemon are preservatives along with the freezing. If you use the ice cube trick, you can simply pop one cube into a pasta or risotto right before you serve, or you can thaw a whole container and then store in the fridge for a few days. No matter what, you’ll be thrilled to have this versatile condiment at your fingertips.
This week, I used some frozen pesto both in Ricki’s lasagna and in a white bean + pesto recipe that I’ll share very soon. Had I not had frozen pesto on hand, I’d have had to run out for basil, overpay for it at Whole Foods, and spend precious time on yet another meal component. As it was, two meals were made easy with this simple frozen condiment. So, readers, take note: if you’ve got access to organic basil, or if you happen to remember this post next summer, as you face a glut of fresh basil plants, get thee to thy freezers!
Not sure which pesto recipe to use? I like the following walnut pesto, which I most enjoy on my roasted vegetable pasta salad.
Choosing Raw Walnut Pesto (Vegan, GF)
Serves 6
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
2 1/2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, rinsed and dried
1/3 cup good extra virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove
1 tbsp lemon zest
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
1) Grind walnuts in a food processor till finely ground. Add basil and pulse till it forms a coarse mixture.
2) Add the lemon zest, garlic, and juice, and pulse a few more times. Turn motor on and run as you add olive oil in a thin stream. I like my pesto very thick, but add more oil if you like a thinner mix.
3) Add salt and pepper to taste. Use, or freeze!
Hope this post (and others to come) show you that entertaining and prepping food ahead of time are not fine arts. With only a small amount of effort and organization, it’s easy to pull off a fantastic dinner for yourself and others on the fly. Happy prepping 🙂
xo
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This is great and mmmm, I love pesto!
How did you thaw it — did you leave it in the fridge that morning when you left, or leave it out on a counter to get to room temp?
Left it on the counter.
have any suggestions for a nut-free pesto? allergic to all nuts & i’m endlessly searching for the perfect nut-free pesto recipe. perhaps pumpkin seeds?
I love the “freeze it” option a lot. Being a mother of three under three I have to have my freezer stocked with a bunch of little yummy things…
Thanks! I made the Choosing Raw Walnut Pesto today and froze the leftovers. I am curious why the additional olive oil? Isn’t it fatty enough by itself? It already contains a whole cup of walnuts.
i agree with you: pesto and nutritional yeast does make everything better! at uni i used to freeze food all the time. it was so good to come home after long hours at uni or after studying out and have a comforting yummy meal in 2 mins.
I never freeze anything because I have a husband who will eat leftovers for weeks. But on my own I would for sure. I have always meant to freeze pesto but never gotten around to it. I admire your ability to plan ahead and budget in some fun time for yourself and even entertain despite the busy schedule.
Hey Gena,
I made your mushroom stroganoff last week, had a bunch left over and froze it (sans noodles) then reheated it another day. It was great! And by the way, it was great as veggie burger topping too!
Brilliant! I never freeze any fresh food except for my weekly smoothie banana supply! I’m also not making a ton of fresh sauces or dressings these days, but I think I might be more inspired if I knew they’d last in the freezer! I’m wondering what salad dressings would freeze well…
I just have to laugh because you really can learn something new everyday! I LOVE pesto but usually don’t make it often because a lot of it goes bad. Thanks Gena!
Super tip girl! I for one cannot believe that you are even THINKING about entertaining, let alone actually doing it with your post bac life. I am in awe of your skills girl.
Hi, Gena. I have a question for you: I recently learned that products labeled as including yeast extract, torula yeast, etc. are really just other names for an additive similar to MSG (a quick Google search brings up several articles about this). I was just wondering what your stand was on MSG-like additives and what information you could provide about this ingredient. I’m hoping it’s just a crazy rumor because yeast extract in some form appears to be in a lot of products–vegetable bouillon, pretzels and other snack foods, Daiya, Field Roast, etc, to name a few. Thank you for your time. 🙂
I love freezing things! It’s magic that happens inside that box!! I basically freeze all of my leftovers so that at any point I can just pop a magical meal out and presto..or rather pesto! and I have a meal! 😀
I’ve been meaning to post about harvesting all our extra basil and freezing the pesto – my recipe is similar but no lemon and the addition of some nutritional yeast – we freeze it in ice cube trays and it works great!!
I freeze everything! From extra desserts to entrees to random bits of side dishes that are extra…I could feed us for quite a while from our freezer stash and we’d be smooth sailing for even longer from the dessert freezer stash.
I used to think that freezing things, leftovers, and overage was less than ideal. Now, I have realized that freezing saves soooo much time. Cook once, eat twice. Or three times. Freezing things and knowing I have a stash keeps me sane around the dinnertime bewitching hour if I know Im running late. Helps avoid the total scramblefest with a hungry family just…staring at me 🙂
Love the pesto. I was just emailing a friend about a walnut pate RIGHT before I read this post!
Ooh I am so excited to read about freezer-friendly recipes! I am so happy that you’re addressing this topic because having things frozen and ready to use really is a great idea! Yay!
And this post is perfect for me in Australia because basil is just starting to come into season! Yes!
That pesto recipe sounds delightful – I’ll definitely be making some pesto topped hummus with it soon. And such a great idea to freeze in ice cube trays!
I’m going to make this! And… Freeze it 🙂
My mom always freezes the pesto! Or, rather, anything that’s a leftover, haha. The stuff really is amazing, and it’s fun to use it in nontraditional ways. I probably prefer it as a spread on a sandwich than in pasta, actually.
This is a great topic. I’ve had comments recently about how lucky I am to “have time” to make food from scratch, when the truth is that I’m a writer, a student, have four freelance jobs currently, and sometimes work 12 hour days. Let alone blogging and homesteading. I always have beans in the freezer, I plan, and I always have pesto in the freezer too! And not just basil pesto–hard to grow basil here. I have parsley, mint and cilantro pestos too!
love
Ela
I must be a grandma at heart, too, I guess! So glad the lasagna worked out and that the gang enjoyed it. Would love to know your tweaks as well! And your walnut pesto sounds sensational. I may just have to whip some up and freeze it for later. 😉 xo
Great advice! I don’t entertain terribly often, but I do like to have nice easy meals on hand for myself.
Oh my goodness! My freezer also houses a good amount of pesto (a mix of basil; arugula; and green garlic types). It’s also great to have around to chip away at if you need a quick meal (raw cabbage salad with pesto, sunflower seeds, and sundried tomatoes…?) Thanks for posting about this!
Freezing pesto in ice cube trays is a great trick to make a bunch when basil is in season and freeze it in easy access cubes! Other than pesto, bread, and desserts, I have not really gotten into freezing much. I’ll keep my eyes open for some freezer friendly recipes 🙂
I have in the past really gotten into freezing foods because I am a working mom. I have gotten lazy but need to get back into it, because I just started working again. Thanks for the inspiration!! Couldnt have come at a better time for me and I am totally looking forward to your healthy freezer meals!!
I used to think freezing things was just for grandmas (no offense). My mom would always say, “Just freeze it!” whenever I’d offer her extra soup or sauce. Now, though, I am so glad when I remember what I’ve frozen and can pull it out for dinner on the fly. And you can never go wrong with pesto.
Hope you are well, dear friend!
Same to you, sweets. And I’m a grandma in many ways, so I’ll just own that 😉