Scraps for Dinner
It is a gloomy day. Rain has been falling since this morning and slowly turned from drops into a light mist that you almost have to strain to see. All but gone is our view of the Escalante Grand Staircase, fog is rolling in the north giving the cliffs the appearance of monolithic ghosts. I stare too long and convince myself our home is a ship and we are floating in the sky. I love the way rain transforms the desert, the way the colors deepen and the omnipresent smell of sagebrush transforms into an enchanting aroma. Mingling with the smell of wet sand and the coolness of the air, it is a welcome relief from the dry, relentless desert air. Our home feels so cozy and because my in-laws are visiting, I keep the fire going. This gets me thinking, I need to prepare soups and stocks and get ready in case our home really does decide to let go of its roots and float away; we will need nourishment for the journey.
Actually, I have spent the last week thinking a great deal about ways to curb food waste.
As I cook, my mother-in-law asks what my plan is for the carrot tops and beet greens I am washing. Why am I saving my radish greens, and what would I do with pineapple stock? We got to talking and she recounted her experience with a CSA that left her disappointed. When we dug a bit deeper, I learned that she had essentially eliminated about 30% of her food by trimming off bits and pieces that she thought were not useable. Naturally, I have decided to dedicate today's post to help you eliminate some of the needless waste we, as Americans, create everyday. I think we can break it down into a few categories to simplify things. First, let's talk about parts of the vegetables that we throw away. In most cases there is a misconception that these parts are just not useable. So the first half of the battle is changing our thinking and the second: finding recipes and ideas that make it necessary for us to keep these vital bits.
When I go shopping I always look for vegetables with roots and tops intact.
The reason is simple: you get on average 20-30% more out of these foods. For example: beets, carrots, turnips, radishes, kohlrabi and fennel all have tops that are edible. Look for greens that are dark green and lively. After I go shopping, before I put the food away, I spend time organizing washing and trimming. This makes life easier during the week because I can just pull things from the fridge as needed. The following is a list of tasks to save money and time.
Stems and Leaves
Cut the stems and leaves from beets, carrots, radish, turnips, kohlrabi and fennel. You can feed the stems to your chickens or add to a compost pile. I like to cut the leaves off directly into a salad spinner, then wash the leaves, dry well and place either in a plastic bag with a paper towel or a deli container. I keep all of these in separate containers from one another so that I have more variety in my cooking.
Fennel
Save fennel tops in a deli or Tupperware for stock. I also like to use the fronds (the little dill-lookin' things) in salads, to add a delicate fennel flavor. Or, chop evenly about 1/4 c, and along with 1 tbsp freshly-cracked pink pepper, 1 tsp black pepper and 1 lemon zested, cover with good olive oil. Mix to combine, drizzle over burrata and enjoy with crusty, chewy bread.
Carrot Tops
Carrot tops make an excellent fritter when combined with julienned carrot and thinly sliced leek. Dredge in a tempura batter and fry until crispy; serve dipped in aoli or lime cashew sauce. The delicate flavor of these greens also make them a perfect addition to a salad. Tear tops into manageable sizes, pick the leaves of tarragon, parsley and basil. Add to fresh salad greens and dress with avocado vinaigrette.
Beet Greens
Beet greens make an excellent substitute or addition to sautéed greens. The texture is similar to chard and spinach and flavored much like spinach with a hint of beet. I often mix these in with kale and sauté with minced garlic and ginger, mustard seed, cumin seed and a bit of turmeric for an Ayurvedic approach. If you happen to buy chard and beets together, save the beet stems and mix them with chard stems for a chard gratin. You can make this as you would any other gratin, by cutting the stems into 1-2" battons and baking covered in béchamel. I recommend rubbing the edges of the pan with smashed raw garlic and adding slices of fennel. Then top with a gruyere or a funky blue and herbed bread crumbs.
Radish, Turnip, Kohlrabi
Radish, turnip and kohlrabi greens are all great in soups. We have been making Nabe quite often lately with all the cold weather. These greens are exactly right for this. You could also add any of them to a blended soup for a bit of depth. It is important to look for radish greens that are not too spiny. Otherwise, they are not terribly pleasant to eat.
I also look for vegetables that have roots and stems.
I will make my case with Broccoli. This is a vegetable that most people cut the stem off of; my heart is breaking. I make a point of buying broccoli with a long stem. Though covered by a tough fibrous layer, the inner part of this vegetable is delightfully tender, and the flavor is subtle and delicate. Start by removing the stem from the broccoli florets. Lay flat and slice off the outer fibrous layer, about 1/16". Cut the stem into chunks and roast along with the florets. Let's Eat France! suggests keeping an eye out for leeks with long, fresh looking roots. Once removed from the leek (cut off of the leek 1/8" from the base), they will need to be washed very well in cold water. Then, dredge in egg, water and flour, deep fry until golden and crispy and enjoy as a garnish. I have never tried this but the concept makes me think of a Bloomin' Onion; I would like to quarter them, deep fry, and serve as an appetizer with a zippy, peppery aoli.
Next, let's talk about stocks.
The key to mastering stocks is not making a big deal out of it, anyone can do it. Not too long ago, I had the impression that stock was not only time consuming, but required some level of skill to master. Now, I do think there is a mastery to stock, however, it does not need to be difficult. Stocks are such a great way to give your food another level of flavor, I wouldn't want you to miss out because it seems intimidating. Let's go over some of the stocks I make and general methods and use. It can be difficult to train yourself at first to save these bits and pieces. And then, also difficult to remember they are in your fridge. But once you have a schedule I think it might begin to come naturally to you. I recommend keeping a dedicated container in the fridge for scraps. Stock days for me tend to happen when the fridge starts getting low on items. It's a great way to give your fridge a good clean-out before your next grocery trip. I always make all my stocks in one day. Starting with multiple bowls, I cut all my vegetables up and organize them by stock. It takes a lot of focus but once you get all the ingredients in the pot, you can sit back and enjoy the enticing smell. Of course, you could break it up into multiple days if that seems more manageable.
Shrimp and Seafood
Alex and I LOVE shrimp, we keep a container in the freezer and save the shells for future stock. This can be prepared many different ways. We love making ramen, using our shrimp stock, and loading it up with bok choy, fukeru wakame, radish, a fried egg and onion cakes. Shrimp stock can be made with any combination of the following: onion, garlic, kombu, celery, fennel, lemon, parsley, bonito flakes, peppercorns, fennel seed, bay leaf, thyme, tarragon..
When buying fish, consider switching things up and getting a whole fish. Then you can use the bones to make a fish stock. Alternatively, your butcher may be willing to sell you fish bones but you may have to order them in advance. Classic French recipes for fish stock call for "white vegetables", to keep the flavor clean and light. That means, onions, fennel, garlic, celery, thyme, tarragon and the exception to the rule: lemon.
Meat
I like ordering whole chickens so that I can make stock from the bones. By roasting the chicken and freezing the bones, I can make stock about once every two weeks. If you don't use whole chickens but find yourself poaching chicken, save the poaching liquid. It doesn't look very appealing but you can fortify it later by adding roasted vegetables.
Buying beef bones is a rare occasion for me, we just don't use beef very often. On the off chance I do, I like to roast the veggies with the bones in the oven until they are browning. Coat in tomato paste and roast for another 10-minutes, deglaze the pan with water to get all the goodness possible and add everything to the pot at once. I am a big fan of herbs in meat stocks. That can include, thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano and parsley.
Vegetable
Mushrooms, make great stock. The next time you cut the woody ends off your mushrooms, save them in a container lined with a small paper towel. Because mushrooms don't do well in moist conditions, you will need to use these within a few days of saving them. But lucky for you, this is one of the more simple stocks to make. I like to have a container of dried mushrooms on hand for all sorts of things, World Market sells a nice medley. Most asian markets also sell large containers of dried shiitakes. Combine mushroom stems, about one cup of dried mushrooms, one shallot, three cloves of garlic, a sprig of thyme and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and cook at a low simmer for 30 minutes; strain through a fine mesh sieve.
Pumpkin scraps, anything from skin to flesh to seeds can be saved and either used in a general vegetable stock or pumpkin stock.
Vegetarian stocks are my favorite to make because they have amazing flavor and it makes cooking a breeze if you have veg-head friends. This is the one instance in which I buy vegetables solely for the purpose of stock. Specifically, parsnip and celery root. The flavor these vegetables create when roasted and added to stock is robust and bright and reminiscent of thanksgiving. General rule of thumb is, roast hard vegetables, such as roots and onions, while things like celery and herbs will be added directly to the stock pot.
Parmesan rinds are piling up at our house and I am planning a great batch of stock. This is one of the more rare stocks in our home, due to the low intake of parmesan by two people. Regardless, we save the rind. And when I have enough, I will wrap them in cheese cloth and add shallot, garlic, thyme, bay leaf and peppercorns; simmer for four hours, skimming the top as needed. I like to keep it vegetarian but chicken or pork bones would be delicious as well.
Fruit
That's right, fruit. This may seem counterintuitive to you, but I assure you, it's a great way to expand your horizons. Pineapple stock is great made sweet or savory. Simply save the peel and core from one pineapple and check out my savory recipe here. Alternatively, make it sweet for use on cakes and pastries by adding a cup of sugar to the stock at the beginning.
Stone fruit contains a pit that is poisonous. However, the kernels inside the pits, also known as noyaux, can be used safely. The flavor is similar to almond extract, pleasantly bitter. Simply cover the pit with a dish towel, and crush the pit using a meat tenderizer. You can use the kernel in stock, syrups, jams, ice cream, or even to flavor liquors.
As I wrap this up, the clouds have parted giving way to reflections of light on the Vermillion and white cliffs of the Escalante. The air is clear and crisp and to the north, a dark storm lingers, threatening. But here, the clouds are unbelievable; Cumulus, cirrus, stratus. I can reach out and grab one. We are still floating, in layers and layers of beauty.
