What do you prepare in bulk and store for use as needed?

I don't mean dishes where you cook multiple quantities and freeze for subsequent meals, but rather basic preparations - building blocks.
My list would include:
In the freezer - Veal stock
Demi-glace
Fish stock
Poultry stock
Mushroom duxelles
Ham lardons
Puff pastry
In the 'fridge - Basil Pesto
Clarified butter
Roasted garlic

Ghee and niter kibbeh (both forms of clarified butter).

-Paul W.

- Stock of various types

- Pesto

Stocks, pesto, coconut milk, roasted green chile.

Chili.

Pesto frozen in ice cube trays, then dumped into Food Saver bags.
Applesauce
Tomato Sauces with different seasonings
Roasted Hatch Chilis
Turkey/Chicken stocks
Sourdough Baguettes
Persimmon Sauce
Pecans, walnuts, almonds,
Fresh berries, cherries, cranberries

Ham lardons

How does one prepare Ham lardons? I have purchased and enjoyed them in French territories, but am ignorant on their preparation at home.

Stock.
Tomato sauce.
Stewed tomatoes.
Stewed apples, plums, peaches, apricots.

Stocks- vegetable, seafood. veal, pork, beef, chicken, turkey, duck, goose, and pheasant
IQF Vegetables- Sweet red peppers (seeded cored and sliced) oven dried tomatoes,
Pestos- basil, sundried tomato, and parsley, cilantro and basil combination
Dried Herbs-basil, tarragon, rosemary, thyme, sage and marjoram

Marinara sauce, tomato confit and roasted tomatoes, roasted garlic, frozen blanched apricot halves, lime and lemon juice frozen cubes from our trees, frozen chili peppers. Come to think of it, we grew everything but the garlic.

Stocks, tomato sauce, meatballs, and mashed potatoes for whole family. For the kids, I have steamed veggies and chicken nuggets. I also have various appetizers in my freezer that I make in bulk and keep when company unexpectedly drops by, like spinach and cheese in puffed pastry, sausage rolls, and bacon wrapped dates.

[Jenise]

Wow, I'm a piker compared to most of you! I never even considered freezing roasted garlic. My list is fairly short: various stocks made whenever the opportunity presents itself but used up so rapidly that you can't count on me to always have X on hand, roasted green chiles, demi glace, and patties of frozen tomato paste from which I break off pieces as needed. That's about it. Everything else I do fresh or as needed.

Pesto
chicken stock
broth to make Pho
pizza sauce (though I hardly ever make pizza -- leftover experiment)
salad dressing base (vinaigrette a la the splendid table) to whip up about 10 other dressing recipes
roasted garlic in olive oil (all slightly aged garlic ends up this way)
apple/pear chutney

Ham lardons

How does one prepare Ham lardons? I have purchased and enjoyed them in French territories, but am ignorant on their preparation at home.

I cut ¼" x ¼" x2" sticks of ham, lay them out on a baking sheet and freeze them to obtain separate frozen pieces. Then I bag them in regular freezer bags, excluding as much air as possible.
I have found that the best way to obtain just the subtlest ham enrichment to a dish, it is best to blanch the lardons in boiling water for 7-8 minutes, then rinse them in fresh water.

Thank you! David. I'll add that to my freezer faves.

patties of frozen tomato paste from which I break off pieces as needed.

Ooo! Another good idea to try. Grazie.

[Jenise]

patties of frozen tomato paste from which I break off pieces as needed.

Ooo! Another good idea to try. Grazie.

Can't take credit--learned it from Robin many many years ago and have been doing it myself since. Just scoop it into a ziploc baggie, smash it to about 1/2" thickness, freeze. Once it's frozen it will stand up in the little bin on your freezer door and is available for breaking off just what you need any time you need it.

Various rubs for use on pork, beef, seafood, etc

Pesto

Frozen pucks of chipotle in adobo

patties of frozen tomato paste from which I break off pieces as needed.

Ooo! Another good idea to try. Grazie.

Can't take credit--learned it from Robin many many years ago and have been doing it myself since. Just scoop it into a ziploc baggie, smash it to about 1/2" thickness, freeze. Once it's frozen it will stand up in the little bin on your freezer door and is available for breaking off just what you need any time you need it.

I forgot about the tomato paste I have in the freezer. I bought a huge can of tomato paste for a couple of bucks and, using an empty 6-oz tomato paste can, doled out 6-oz blobs of paste and froze them. Then I wrapped each one in plastic wrap and consolidated them in a large plastic bag.

1. Vegetable Stock
2. Chicken Stock
3. Pesto
4. Tomato sauce
5. Mushroom stock - for rissoto
6. Chocolate chip cookie dough - A MUST!

Seasonal excesses --- kale/chard/endive/tomatoes processed to a thin marinara/basil and arugula pesto - love the ice cube try idea.
Too much in 1 can excess ---chipotle in adobo/tomato paste
Building blocks for stocks--chicken wings,necks,backs/beef and veal bones/ham bones/reggiano rinds/Italian and spanish ham skin and fat [the folks at the deli counter throw it away unless you ask for it ]/leek and fennel tops

Oh, another one that comes to mind:

Chinese hot chile oil.

-Paul W.

Me, too.

Black Beans
Bread
Salsa
Chai Tea

rwj