Love your leftovers

I’ve gotten into the habit of chopping up kitchen scraps: the core of fennel and cabbage, kale stalks, that one watermelon radish that started to wrinkle, the tough ends of Brussels sprouts, cauliflower stems. It is amazing, the amount you can collect in a week if, like me, you’re a vegetable lover. It was chef Soren Pedersen (Kitchen Scraps, spring 2015 issue of Edible Houston) who suggested collecting scraps in a container. Usually, I cut them the same size (ready to use), blanch quickly and keep them in a container in the freezer. When I have enough, I use in risotto, soup or chili. Or make piccalilly!

Zip lock bags with scraps of meat, the carcass of roasted poultry or a fish head & bones; little containers with leftover sauce: there can be all sorts of leftover stuff in my freezer. It drives my husband crazy sometimes but all the happier when we’re eating a delicious meal and there’s barely a sign of cooking in the kitchen.

The trick is to organize leftovers to make a meal. A little planning goes a long way in reducing food waste in your kitchen. Either way, scraps and leftovers make for great ingredients. And the best part? They’re ready to use!