Greens & Vegetables going to waste!

 Since becoming dependent on DWP benefits, after losing my job and having ongoing mental health issues I have had to rethink my use and resourcefulness with the foods I can afford. 

In this country, we have a very 'First World' outlook on produce. This is primarily to the detriment of our own farming industry whose profitability has been reduced so much by the significant stores looking to present perfect-looking vegetables and fruit. This in turn puts up the price of our own resources and limits our produce industries. There is so much of what we deem waste that is nutritional and actually good to eat. Outer leaves of cabbages and cauliflower taste the same as the vegetable we are 'preparing' and can be used in the same or even alternative ways. Turnip, radish and beetroot tops find their way to the compost heap and although recycled it is much better to find ways to use these as food in the first place. 

I often find myself saddened looking at other plots compost heaps when I see vegetables I still consider food and still viable going to waste. Even if it is in excess to you or are unwilling to find uses for these vegetables, you could offer them to a local food bank who is always very appreciative of any donations.

I am now going to list a few examples and how I use them.

Turnip, radish and beetroot tops can be separated into the actual leaves and stalks. The leaves I shred and the stalks dice into 1cm lengths. I then bag each separately and seal and freeze. This gives me a good supply of green to bulk out soups and stews used straight from the freezer. Keeping the tops and stalks separated allows for more control of texture depending on what you are using them for later.

Brocolli stalk is tender enough to eat up to about 20-30cm below the green head. Stalks can be batoned and cooked along with the rest of the broccoli. It is also great for stirfry, slaws and salads if cut julienne.

Cauliflower leaves can be processed into two parts. The leaves can be torn from the central ribs and used as greens the same as above mentioned turnip/beetroot leaves. The ribs can be thinly sliced and cooked along with the cauliflower florets or used in stirfry like I do in Vietnamese style cauliflower recipe.

Carrot tops taste more like carrots than carrots do! With the addition of chilli, potato and some onion you can make a wonderful spicy green carrot soup. They can also be finely chopped and used to garnish other dishes for a fresh carrot flavour layer.

Leek and onion tops can be sliced, bagged and sealed then popped in the freezer for later use in risotto, pasta, stews and soups.

Celery leaves should be used anywhere you would use parsley or to garnish any dish for a freshness layer. 

Fennel leaves and stalks are particularly good with fish or chicken but also with any tomato-based sauce as the mild aniseed flavour brings out more flavour in tomatoes.

Sprout tops are now a chef's sought-after vegetable as a rare, tender and flavoursome vegetable.

Outer cabbage leaves can be shredded and frozen for use in soups and stews or blanched then stuffed with spiced mince or a tasty risotto and finished off gratin in the oven.