by Jess Catherine, Assistant Merchandiser
I tend to make too much food and let it go to waste. If you want an excuse it would be that I have kids, I work, and I am busy. What I actually do is overestimate how much food we will need. I also spend so much on the fresh ingredients I do buy, but only use part of the vegetable at a time. It’s complicated, and it wasn’t like this before when I was younger and on my own. But life has many changes, and changing how I am used to seems like a lot to ask, but maybe it doesn’t have to be?
I don’t want to be wasteful. I want to educate myself and my kids so they are aware of sustainability and the impact it has on everyone’s future. It is important to support a lifestyle in which we all benefit from. So that is why Earth Day starts in the home, and I am going to do my small part to cut back on the waste.
History Lesson
Earth Day started in 1970, back when there was no pollution regulation, and it is now celebrated every year on April 22.
Way back in 1970, it was perfectly legal to dump sewage in the river, or send tons of toxins up in smoke. That year, Senator Gaylord Nelson created Earth Day. By that December, Congress created the Enviromental Protection Agency (EPA) and started reining in industrial polluters and protecting our air and water.
Since then, Earth Day has become an annual reminder that we still have work to do, on recycling, cleaning up our toxic industries, as well as not wasting food.
Dried up carrots, moldy nubs of cheese, and stale bread heels pile up in refrigerators across the U.S., and they add up to billions of dollars in food waste. In fact, food scraps are the number one thing that goes to the landfill. According to the EPA, methane gas released from food waste in landfills accounts for 20% of the U.S.’s greenhouse gas emissions.
We waste food at all points in the supply chain, so it's not just your fridge that's causing problems. At harvest, it gets damaged and tossed on the way out of the field. At the processing plant, things spoil or stick to the machinery and get rinsed down the drain.
Grocery stores have to sort through and discard produce that isn't perfect, although some of that is picked up by foodbanks (a recent study found that food co-ops recycle 74% of food waste compared with a recycling rate of 36% for conventional grocers). Out-of-date packaged goods have to be pitched as well.
Restaurants and food service fill dumpsters with all the food we leave on our plates, combined with things that didn't sell in time.
I am going to work to waste less this year and use more of the food I buy. If you'd like to do the same, here are a dozen tips that can help reduce your waste, and as a bonus, save you money!
12 tips to reduce food waste
1. Use those radish and carrot greens
Buying radishes or carrots by the bunch? Use the leaves to make pesto, salads, and toss in soup. Think of them as peppery parsley.
Moroccan Carrot Radish Salad
Shredded salads are incredibly quick and easy when you use the food processor. In this one, the peppery kick of radishes and sweet crunch of carrots are enhanced with the tangy lemon dressing. Sort through the radish leaves, discarding any wilted ones, and chop the good ones to toss with the salad.
4 large carrots
4 large red radishes
Radish leaves, chopped, or spinach
3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. honey
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. toasted pumpkin seeds
1/4 c. toasted, unsalted peanuts (optional)
2 oz. crumbled feta cheese
Directions: Grate the carrots and radishes coarsely. Wash and sort the radish leaves, and chop or julienne. Put them in a bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juiced, honey, cumin, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk in the olive oil gradually. Pour the dressing over the carrots and toss to mix. Just before serving, add the pumpkin seeds, peanuts, and feta cheese and toss.
2. Savor broccoli and cauliflower stems
Do you discard broccoli and cauliflower stems? Peel the tough skin from the stems and chop the tender cores to use in the dish, or cut in planks to eat with dip.
Creamy Broccoli Soup using stems and florets
If you are making other broccoli dishes in which you really only want the florets, save the stems and use them within the week for this. You only need 2 cups of florets to stir in after pureeing, so make up the difference with peeled and chopped stems in the soup. Alternately, just use a big bunch of broccoli, and use up every bit of it.
1 1/2 lb. broccoli, stems peeled, 2 cups florets reserved OR a heavier ratio of stems: 1 1/4 pound stems and 5 oz. broccoli florets
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 c. vegetable stock or water
3 Tbs. white rice
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. dried basil
Croutons
Directions: Peel and chop broccoli stems and onion, reserving the broccoli florets. Put in a big pot, add rice and stock or water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer until vegetables and rice are very tender, about 15 minutes. Reserve 2 cups of broccoli florets, then add the rest of the florets to the soup and simmer for 5 more minutes. Steam or microwave the remaining 2 cups broccoli florets just until crisp tender.
Puree the broccoli mixture in batches to a smooth consistency, adding sour cream and milk as it becomes smooth. Return to pan and gently reheat, whisking in just enough milk to thin to a consistency of your liking. Stir in broccoli florets, salt, pepper and basil. Warm just to serving temperature. Be very careful not to boil.
3. Cook kale stems like you would celery
Do you discard kale and other greens stems? When cooking with kale, you can simply separate the leaves from the stems, chop the stems, and cook the stems first; they will cook a bit like celery. If you juice, save all your greens stems from meals you prepare, including parsley, and add to your juice for a chlorophyll boost.
4. Flavor stock and other dishes with potato peels
Do you peel potatoes? The peels make a flavorful addition to stock, and even thicken it a bit. Consider whether you even need to peel; many soups, potato salads and even mashed potatoes are more nutritious and filling with the skins left on.
5. Enjoy the flavor and nutrition of apple peels
Baking or cooking with apples? Leave the skins on and you will reap the nutrients and fiber they contain, and save time. If you peel, add them to soup stock, for a subtle sweetness.
6. Zest your citrus and freeze for future use
Juicing a lemon or lime or eating an orange? Zest your organically grown citrus first, then you can freeze the potent zest in a freezer bag for adding a hint of citrus to everything from muffins to pastas.
7. Peel overripe bananas and freeze for smoothies or baking
Are those bananas looking a little too brown to put in the lunch box? Peel and freeze them, then add them to smoothies or thaw and puree for banana bread, muffins and cakes.
8. Puree and freeze veggies before they go bad
Do you have veggies going soft in the crisper? Cook and puree carrots, sweet potatoes, greens, cauliflower, and other veggies, then freeze. Stir the purees into pasta sauce, macaroni and cheese, soups, casseroles and meatloaf for an added veggie boost.
9. Save veggie trimmings for soup stock
Cutting up vegetables for a dish? Save and freeze the skins and trimmings from onions, carrots, celery, sweet potato, potato, parsley, spinach, and other mild veggies (peppers, cabbage and broccoli can be too strong) until you have a good amount to make stock.
Veggie Trim Stock
Whenever you cut up vegetables for a recipe, save onion skins, carrot peels, celery bottoms and tops, potato and sweet potato skins, garlic clove trimmings and skins, tomato trims, mushroom trims, zucchini, or other mild veggies. You can freeze them in zip-top bags until you have enough to make stock. Steer clear of strong veggies like cabbage, broccoli, peppers, fennel and kale, unless you plan to use the stock with those particular flavors. Adding a dry white wine will balance the sweetness of the veggies, but it is fine without, too.
8 c. veggie trimmings
8 c. water
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon black peppercorn
1/2 tsp. salt
3 dried mushrooms, optional
1/4 c. white wine, optional
Directions: Combine the veggies and water, bay leaf, peppercorns and salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat immediately (boiling too long makes it bitter) and cover, to simmer very gently. Leave covered so the water will not boil away. Add wine, if desired.
Set a timer for 45 minutes. At 45 minutes, strain the stock, and discard the veggies (they make great compost). Taste the stock, add seasonings as desired.
10. Use up stale bread in flavorful recipes
Do you have bread going stale? Freeze the slices to use later in stuffing, croutons, or recipes like below. Make croutons for salads and soups, or crumbs to toss with pasta or top casseroles. Don't forget about bread pudding and stratas, too.
Flexible Bread and Veggie Casserole
This tasty casserole is a template for using up stale bread and veggies that are begging to be freed from your vegetable drawer. Four cups of raw, or 3-4 cups of any leftover cooked veggies will do. If you have some leftover cooked chicken or lunchmeat, chop that up and throw it in there (up to 2 cups will fit) and add another egg to make sure it's all covered. It's also a perfect way to utilize those leftover bits of cheese, the more the merrier!
1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
3 c. chopped onion, 2 medium
4 c. cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, chopped (or 3 to 4 cups cooked veggies)
1 large carrot, quartered and sliced
2 tsp. dried herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary)
4 c. cubed bread
4 large eggs, whisked
1 c. milk, cream or buttermilk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
2 c. shredded cheese, whatever you have on hand
1/4 c. fresh parsley
Up to 2 c. of shredded, cubed or chopped leftover chicken, ham or other meats plus one additional egg (optional)
Directions: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a 2 quart baking dish. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil and add the onion, veggies and carrot and bring to a sizzle over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium. Stir often until the carrot is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the herbs and cubed bread, turn to mix and transfer to the baking dish.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg with the milk, salt and pepper, and pour over the bread mixture in the dish, use the spatula to move the cubes to allow the egg mixture to seep through it all, then press it down to level the top. Cover with the cheese and sprinkle with parsley.
Bake for 30 minutes, until the cheese is well-browned and a paring knife inserted in the center of the pan comes out with no raw eggs on it. Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
11. Keep food that needs to be consumed soon front and center
Organize your refrigerator and pantry, and put foods that should be consumed sooner right in front. Switch your storage containers from opaque to clear glass, so that you will see that tasty lasagna from last night, because out of sight is out of mind.
12. Turn your vegetable scraps into fertilizer
Do you have room for a compost pile or a worm bin? Ultimately, transforming your plant waste into fertilizer is better than packing it in the landfill.
If you are already doing your share, or have any favorite recipes with veggie trimmings, please send them my way! Thanks for reading.