How To Use Up All The Items In Your Fridge
This summer I bet you purchased enough bagged salad that you promptly threw away three days later after it started to look sad, water logged and wilted. Don't feel too bad, one third of all food produced worldwide goes to waste. At Stomping Ground, we have a very strict no waste policy. Everything that can be reused, does get reused. It is better for the farmer that produced the product, the truck that got it to us, the cook that prepped the items, the owner that purchased the items and the guest that gets to enjoy the fruits of all of this labor. Below are a couple of my favorite "use it up" techniques and recipes that you can do at home:
Photo Credit: Keirnan Monaghan and Theo Vamvounakis Courtesy of James Beard Foundation Book, "Waste Not"
Salsa Verde aka Herb Chutney
Think beyond Pesto. This is a great way to use up any leftover herbs from your garden! Just blitz 'em in a food processor or blender with with garlic, lime juice, a green chile, salt, and a pinch o’ sugar and a few drops of water to get the entire mixture into a paste. You can put a chutney on anything —salad dressings, as a sandwich spread, and as a sauce for roasted vegetables (see my previous post for cooking tips). It also freezes really well, and adding lime juice provides zip even if your herbs have lost a bit of their freshness!
Smoothies, Seltzers and Banana Ice Cream
Freeze that sad mango, banana or berries even when they look ugly, brown or soggy! They will keep well and you can drop them into smoothies (a great way to use up that yogurt that is about a day or two away from spoilage). Over smoothies? Puree the fruit and mix with seltzer for refreshing homemade soda. I also like to put just a frozen banana with a few shots of vanilla into my blender to make 'ice cream." Seriously, just a brown frozen banana and a few drops of flavor. Pulse till smooth. Eat with a spoon. Yum!
Fritattas
Frittatas are best way to turn sad bottom-of-the-crisper produce into something good enough to eat. Chop 'em up raw, roast them, boil them. Literally anything. Fold into eggs, salt generously and bake! They are also a great way to use up leftovers that aren't necessarily veggies -- try fried rice, crispy ground meat from taco night, or even that half jar of kimchi you don't know what to do with!
Photo Credit: Keirnan Monaghan and Theo Vamvounakis Courtesy of James Beard Foundation Book, "Waste Not"
All 'dem Tomaters
If you overdid it this summer, roast your cherry tomatoes on a baking sheet until the liquid becomes syrupy. Cool, package in ziplock bags and freeze. Use later for tomato sauce or even top on toasted bread with garlic for sweet bruschetta!
Parmesan Rinds, Veggie Trim and Bones
Do not throw them away. Freeze them and toss into soups and broths this winter! Even more, you don't have to purchase new veggies to make your stock. Make veggie stock with wilting produce or the trimmings from your salad prep. Keep a ziplock bag in your freezer until you have enough to make stock. Buy your meat and poultry on the bone. Use the bones to make broth, don't fall for that $10 jar at Whole Foods! You can even use the cooked bones, roasted bones create more richly flavored broths!
Bacon Drippings
Save all of your bacon grease, ham drippings or chicken fat in a glass jar (down South they use coffee cans) and use it in other dishes for richer flavor. Use it instead of oil to cook your proteins in a pan. Use it as a base to cook your veggies for your soups. Use it to make gravy. Use it to fry eggs. Just use it!