HEY! DON'T WASTE THAT! - CSA Box #3

This week's CSA Box contained some items, which you may think are inedible. No! Not the actual radishes or the actual broccoli. But, what about the leaves of the radishes or the stems of the broccoli? Some folks do not know that these items can be used in cooking. So, let's go through several of the items and I'll tell you what to NOT throw out.

#1: Don't waste....

 the outer leaves of cabbage!

The outer leaves of cabbage are wonderful for making stuffed cabbage leaves! Simply peel off all of the outermost leaves, taking care to leave them as in-tact as possible. Wash and then place them (slightly wet) in a 1 gallon ziplock bag. Don't seal the bag! Place it in the microwave and cook on "high" for 1-2 minutes. Check the leaves after 1 minute to see if they are pliable. If you can't fold the leaves after 1 minute, place them back in the microwave for an additional minute. You aren't cooking them. You are softening them. Basically, you are steaming them in the bag. 

After they are softened, let them cool slightly and stuff with cooked brown rice. seasoned with onion, garlic, spices, and some tomato sauce. Roll up like you would a burrito. Place in a dish and top with more tomato sauce. Cook in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until warmed through. Since hot weather is right around the corner, you could also put them in a crock pot on "low" for 2-3 hours. Be sure you have enough tomato sauce in the bottom of the crock pot though so that they don't burn. 

Here's a recipe. I like this one because it gives a great pictorial tutorial on how to fold the leaves. They say to boil the cabbage first to get the outer leaves off of the cabbage. I must admit that I have never done this. I manage to get the leaves off without boiling first. I just cut off the bottom of the cabbage and around the core and the leaves seem to peel off just fine. 

#2: Don't waste....

the leaves of broccoli 

Yep! These babies are quite edible. Add them to soup, stir fry, or even a salad. They taste wonderful! Think: broccoli - only in leaf form. That pretty much is the flavor. 😀  The Juice Plus website suggests the following four ways to prepare broccoli leaves: sauteed, stir-fried, roasted, and blended. Check out the link for details!

#3: Don't waste...

the stems of broccoli 

Most people cut off this part of the plant and discard it. NO! It is edible. Just cut off the tough outer edges and the middle is soft and smooth. 

Here's the same pile of broccoli stems I showed you in the first photo after I have prepped them for use. You can cut them into "coins" by slicing them across the middle and then use them in soups, casseroles or stir fry. 

You can put the stems into a ricer and in about 1 minute you have this: 

Use it to make broccoli based coleslaw or (even better) make my scalloped riced broccoli casserole.
The 14 year old sous chef and I designed this recipe a few weeks ago after I scored a super great deal on nine bunches of organic broccoli. Not wanting to waste a morsel, I riced all the broccoli stems. We added some herbs and spices to the riced broccoli base and then poured over a generous amount of my lemony white bean alfredo sauce. This recipe contains no: fat, cholesterol, dairy, eggs, or gluten!

Now that I have your mouth watering, how about the recipe? Of course! Here's a link to my scalloped riced broccoli casserole. 

#4: Don't waste ....

The leaves of radishes 

Most leaves are edible, with a few notable exceptions, like potato leaves and rhubarb leaves. A whole lot of people just discard the leaves and eat the bright red or white bulb. No! De-stem those radish leaves, wash them thoroughly, and use them in recipes. 

Want some inspiration? Jane, a fellow member of my local CSA, suggested radish leaf pesto. It sounded amazing and got rave reviews from the other members. But, I needed a no cheese version. So, I veganized the recipe, took out the added oil, and added a touch of date syrup for sweetness. Perfection! We had it for supper tonight over rice pasta. 

Here's a link to the recipe page. I give you step-by-step instructions and there's a link included for a free downloadable PDF of the recipe. 

#5: Don't waste....

vegetable scraps

The tops of the green garlic just exploded in height this week! Maybe they like all the rain we've been getting in Central Illinois. Although I told you in week 1 of this series that the tops of green garlic are edible (and they are!), I am the first to admit that as that green garlic gets bigger and the tops get unwieldy, they also get a little thick and harder to use. So, this is the perfect week to cut the tough stems off and set them aside to make vegetable stock. 

The growing season has just begun and I am on week #3 of my CSA bounty. So, this is the time that I tell you to wash and save all your vegetable scraps. Stick them in a freezer bag marked "scraps" and throw it in the freezer. When the bag is full, you can easily make delicious vegetable stock. Since I'm vegan, there's not much that can't go into my scrap bag - especially if the produce is organic. 

The site, "Oh, My Veggies" has a great step-by-step tutorial on how to use kitchen scraps to make vegetable broth. 

Your turn!

What parts of plants do you save and use that others may discard and throw out? Leave your thoughts in the comments section. 

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Do all to the glory of God, 

Hope