ThinkstockThe freezer is a gardener’s friend, when cold weather starts to set in.

Every September, a small panic rises. The herb garden overflows. So do the border plantings of leafy greens. Tomatoes dominate my countertop in all manner of ripeness. One neighbor gifted me with a 51⁄2-pound zucchini, and another dropped off a small crate of hot chilies. I feel desperate to save every bit.

All too soon, the fresh pickings diminish. Time to stock the larder. These days, I choose easy methods to preserve those fresh flavors, and I freeze as much of my harvest as possible.

Garden-ripe, juicy tomatoes motivate me to capture their goodness for the future. The simplest method is to freeze whole tomatoes on baking sheets until solid and then pack them in freezer bags. Thawed, they’re no longer suitable for slicing, but they will add sweet goodness to sauces, stews and salsas. Grilling the whole tomatoes first enhances their flavor, especially if you add some wood chips to the grill. A puree of these grill-smoked tomatoes makes chili and pasta sauces fantastic.

Oven-roasting small ripe tomatoes with oil, garlic and herbs makes a condiment suited for warm salads and pastas later in the season. A touch of sugar and vinegar turns it into a sweet-sour combination to accompany roasted meats and poultry.

Fresh basil, preserved in a puree with oil, garlic and salt, likewise perks up my offseason cooking. I call this our pesto “starter” and keep little tubs of it in the freezer for the long winter ahead. Once it is thawed, you can whip up a quick pesto by stirring in ground pine nuts and cheese. Or, add vinegar and more oil for an awesome fresh herb vinaigrette.

I also smash fresh herbs into butter and squirrel it away in little tubs. Just imagine what that will do to the holiday mashed potatoes. I stuff pretty jars with sprigs of fresh herbs and then fill them with vinegar or oil for future vinaigrettes. I fill ice cube trays with chopped fresh herbs and top them off with unsalted broth. Simply drop a frozen cube into soup or gravy.

Using high-quality condiments like these or garden goodies from the freezer makes cooking inspirational and interesting.

And in case you are wondering about that ginormous zucchini — it’s been grilled and tucked into the freezer. Yes, it took awhile, but this winter, I’ll be popping that grilled treat into my soups and stews and thinking of summer gardens and kind neighbors.