I don’t know, but the way things are going we might as well get creative in the kitchen. I was reading a piece at RBO2 the other day and it smacked me hard in the head. What would a union shutdown of this country do to us? Perhaps we should look at useful tips to keep that kitchen creative with whatever we are left with.
At Your Disposal
Before you throw away your vegetable trimmings, consider some alternative uses:
CARROT, CELERY AND FENNEL LEAVES Mix small amounts, finely chopped, with parsley as a garnish or in salsa verde: all are in the Umbelliferae family of plants. Taste for bitterness when deciding how much to use.
CHARD OR COLLARD RIBS Simmer the thick stalks in white wine and water with a scrap of lemon peel until tender, then drain and dress with olive oil and coarse salt. Or bake them with cream, stock or both, under a blanket of cheese and buttery crumbs, for a gratin.
CITRUS PEEL Organic thin-skinned peels of tangerines or satsumas can be oven-dried at 200 degrees, then stored to season stews or tomato sauces.
CORN COBS Once the kernels are cut off, simmer the stripped cobs with onions and carrots for a simple stock. Or add them to the broth for corn or clam chowder.
MELON RINDS Cut off the hard outer peels and use crunchy rinds in place of cucumber in salads and cold soups.
PEACH LEAVES Steep in red wine, sugar and Cognac to make a summery peach-bomb aperitif. (According to David Lebovitz’s recipe, the French serve it on ice.)
POTATO PEELS Deep-fry large pieces of peel in 350-degree oil and sprinkle with salt and paprika. This works best with starchy potatoes like russets.
YOUNG ONION TOPS Wash well, coarsely chop and cook briefly in creamy soups or stews, or mix into hot mashed potatoes.
TOMATO LEAVES AND STEMS Steep for 10 minutes in hot soup or tomato sauces to add a pungent garden-scented depth of tomato flavor. Discard leaves after steeping.
TOMATO SCRAPS Place in a sieve set over a bowl, salt well and collect the pale red juices for use in gazpacho, Bloody Marys or risotto.
TURNIP, CAULIFLOWER OR RADISH LEAVES Braise in the same way as (or along with) collards, chards, mustard greens or kale.
WATERMELON SEEDS Roast and salt like pumpkinseeds.
via That’s Not Trash, That’s Dinner. I think I will try the watermelon seeds.
July 31, 2011 at 10:48 am
Mmmm Love the taste of compost in the morning.
July 31, 2011 at 6:39 pm
Oh, LOL, DE!
August 1, 2011 at 7:46 am
Yes, but my grandma would say otherwise. She used everything in some way. It was amazing. She had no choice. She was raising a brood.
July 31, 2011 at 11:54 am
DE- ROFL!
Mcnorman- you know me- I use everything- have to give some of these a try. I am gonna check on the tomato leave thing-
July 31, 2011 at 12:16 pm
stems and leaves are technically poisonous but they will not actually kill anyone, they just have a lot of alkaloids that are hard to metabolize; they would probably upset peoples’ stomachs if they ate them; can’t imagine 10 minutes simmering of them would be harmful though. Ooops I should say they are poisonous to birds though, don’t let any birdies near the trimmings.
July 31, 2011 at 12:31 pm
Nom- I thought the leaves were a no no. Can’t say as I have ever eaten them- but I do know I get a rash when I handle to plants too much. Good to know!
July 31, 2011 at 12:41 pm
Didn’t they use that in “flying ointment” years ago?
I think they’re related to Belladonna (or is that eggplant?)
July 31, 2011 at 12:57 pm
They are all in the Solanaceae or nightshade family; the Solanaceae is a large plant family that contains numerous Genii (that’s pl of Genus, not the dude in the bottle).
eggplant= Solanum melongena [order is Solanales, Family is Solanaceae, Genus is Solanum, species is Solanum melongena]
tomato= Solanum lycopersicum [same except species is Solanum lysopersicum
belladonna= Atropa belladonna [same except Genus is Atropa, & species is Atropa belladonna]
Stems and leaves and seeds of Solanaceae are (often) poisonous due to alkaloids but not in the same amount. Peppers, potatoes, petunias, datura, mandragora, & tobacco are also Solanaceae family plants.
July 31, 2011 at 1:02 pm
henbane, hemlock, & wolfsbane too, lol; I got into an argument with some dumbass biology professor (also a professor of folklore) over the “method” of this, lol; I told him just why it couldn’t have happened the way he claimed in GREAT detail.
July 31, 2011 at 1:03 pm
henbane, hemlock, & wolfsbane too, lol; I got into an argument with some dumbass biology professor (also a professor of folklore) over the “method” of this; I told him just why it couldn’t have happened the way he claimed in GREAT detail. Nobody was thankful for the correction.
July 31, 2011 at 1:09 pm
sorry double post didn’t think the first had went through, lightning storm here.
July 31, 2011 at 11:56 am
By the way- what happened to the original RBO? Was surprised when I could not get in- got a this blog is private message.
July 31, 2011 at 7:10 pm
RBO is in a protected vault.
July 31, 2011 at 8:26 pm
why is that?
August 1, 2011 at 5:28 am
I suppose RBO doesn’t believe that the work will be protected once the 2012 elections move into hard core thuggery. She has a point. Remember all the blogspot blogs that were taken down? She is still writing another book. I cannot imagine that she would have the time to constantly monitor what the bots will do to protect their dear leader.
July 31, 2011 at 12:13 pm
Most of these sound great! & It is certainly sensible not to waste. I love love love fennel, it’s too bad it is not a more popular vegetable in the US.
I’ve never eaten peach leaves, though cherry leaves with spring mochi are really good. I will have to try that one. I would add a caveat that peaches suffer from serious foliar and other diseases and are heavily sprayed crops even by commercial standards: one might ought to use only an organic peach or a backyard peach that was not sprayed. Cleaning the leaf by washing is not going not cut it in this case.
Also, most commercial corn is gm (has the Bt gene to kill insect pests of corn): this has been shown to survive digestion, and it has been shown in one study (Monsanto does not like to do studies; there is a shortage of studies, imagine that, lol) to cause organ damage.
http://foodfreedom.wordpress.com/2010/01/01/three-approved-gmos-linked-to-organ-damage/ has link to the study in this article also.
Don’t eat non-organic corn!
Anecdotally, as I am not a medical practitioner of any sort, I quit eating any gmos at all earlier this year, one would be amazed how ubiquitous they are: it is an expensive proposition, but I must say, I do feel the better for it.
July 31, 2011 at 1:37 pm
Nom- I get my seeds from Johnny’s or save my own from year to year. No garden this year- but friends and neighbors are trading me- I have lots of blackberries and apples. It is so good to have neighbors and friends!
July 31, 2011 at 3:55 pm
Baker Creek heirloom Seeds http://rareseeds.com/ is really nice with excellent service, also http://www.heirloomseeds.com/main/index.html, http://www.victoryseeds.com/, http://www.realseeds.co.uk/, http://www.chilternseeds.co.uk/
I didn’t get the veggies in this year yet either, maybe some winter ones planted when it cools down; but the fruit trees and plants I put in last fall are doing good especially considering the heat and the drought.
July 31, 2011 at 5:28 pm
Think I might try the potato peels….not too far from potato skins!
“Say What You Will…It Feels So Good”
July 31, 2011 at 7:09 pm
Yes, they sound interesting.
July 31, 2011 at 6:41 pm
Thanks, McN, but I’m not this adventurous.
July 31, 2011 at 7:08 pm
I have always wanted to try to do something with the carrot tops. I know they are bitter, but I’ve heard they make for an interesting soup
Carrot Top Soup
1 bunch (6 small to medium) carrots, tops and the roots
2 thyme or lemon thyme sprigs
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped dill, parsley, celery leaves, or lovage
3 Tbsp brown rice
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 large leeks, white parts only
6 cups Vegetable Stock
1. Pull or pluck the lacy leaves of the carrot greens off their stems. You should have between 2 and 3
cups, loosely packed. Wash, then chop finely. Grate the carrots, or if you want a more refined-looking
soup, finely chop them.
2. Heat olive oil over moderate heat in a soup pot. Add the carrot tops and carrots, rice, leeks, thyme, and
dill. Cook for several minutes, turning everything a few times, then season with 1 ½ teaspoons of salt and
add the stock. Bring to a boil and simmer until the rice is cooked 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Taste for salt, season, with pepper, and serve..
July 31, 2011 at 8:10 pm
That sounds really good! I’ve never tried them as a main ingredient. I just use them like parsley: they are good in dolmades and as part of the ingredients for pesto. I would not call them dolmades or pesto around any Greeks or Italians, of course. That could prove hazardous!
).
They are also good juiced (with other stuff, like mangos
If one has not cooked with them before, they may be cleaned by first soaking them a few minutes in water with some AC vinegar and baking soda in it, then lift them out of the soaking liquid, then rinse them in water again. It works a lot better than just water to get all the dirt off.
August 1, 2011 at 5:30 am
That is a very good tip. I usually make compost out of them.
August 1, 2011 at 1:00 pm
Thanks, McN, for th neat vegetarian recipe.
August 2, 2011 at 2:33 pm
You are very welcome.
August 2, 2011 at 6:05 am
Excellent frugal tips! As far as nutrition goes, turnip leaves have far more vitamins and nutrition than does the turnip, and kale is considered a “powerhouse” veggie that has been overlooked/avoided by many Americans. I’ve been a huge proponent of frugal cooking for decades, but learned a few things here. Thanks, dear heart! Reuse, recycle, enjoy…
August 2, 2011 at 1:05 pm
Sometimes we throw away what we should not.
August 2, 2011 at 2:32 pm
I agree, we should learn to use what we have as much as we can.