Dear Eric: I started talking about this the other day with my fellow volunteer gardeners in the vegetable garden at Government House and thought it might be fun to get your take.
I was wondering what vegetable parts we customarily throw out that are edible and could be used.
If you should ever be inclined to write about that, I think it would be fun and useful.
Penny Tennenhouse
Dear Penny: More than $31 billion worth of food is wasted every year in Canada, according to a report by consulting firm Value Chain Management International (vcm-international.com). Among that waste are fresh vegetables. Learning to use up all edible parts of those veggies would reduce what’s discarded.
Below, I’ve listed some items that are often trimmed and tossed and have suggested ways to use them. If you have any other ideas to share, please email them to me and I’ll pass them on to Penny.
Beet greens: Leafy green and nutritious beet tops can be prepared like spinach. Steam until tender and toss with a little melted butter and serve as a side dish, or use as a stuffing for an omelette, chicken breast, lamb leg or fish. Chop and add beet greens to soups, pastas or stews. Also, if the leaves are young and tender, use beet greens raw in salads.
Broccoli stems: Once you’ve trimmed the stems from the broccoli florets, keep the stems and coarsely grate them and use to make broccoli slaw.
The stems can also be sliced widthwise or cubed and used in a stir-fry, added to a soup or tossed raw into a salad.
You could also cut the stems into thin ribbons and cook and toss them with pasta.
If the broccoli comes as a very mature plant and the stem has a thick and tough skin, you might want to peel it first before using.
Celery leaves: I enjoy the light and refreshing taste of the green leaves that some people trim off the top of a stalk of celery and discard. Those leaves add a lovely taste to many salads, be it green, potato, pasta, tomato or Greek.
Just like parsley, chopped celery leaves can be a last-minute addition to a soup, stew, pasta or stir-fry, giving those dishes a lovely last bit of colour and a fresh taste.
Cilantro stems: Many folks know how to use the leafy part of the herb called cilantro, but many don’t realize that the roots of the plant, which are often trimmed off and tossed, are used in Thai and other Asian cuisines. They are intensely flavoured and because of that, when sliced, pounded or otherwise prepared, are used to flavour such things as marinades, soups and curry pastes. If you need to add chopped fresh cilantro leaves to salsa, chutney, salad or a stir-fry, also don’t worry if some of the stems come along for the ride. They add more flavour.
Kale stems: I’ve seen these sliced and added to pickles and kimchi, or blended with other ingredients in smoothies. However, I like to slice and then sauté them in olive oil over moderate heat until tender then use them in a quiche or omelette filling, or fold or toss them into hot mashed potatoes or pasta.
Vegetable trimmings for stock: Beyond the usual onions, carrots and celery, the trimmings from other vegetables can be simmered to flavour stock, particularly vegetable-based ones. If washed and in good condition (i.e. not overly wilted, slimy and past their prime) items that could be used to flavour stock, sliced if needed, include leek tops, chard stems, fennel bulb trimmings, mushroom stems, the ends of tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, tough asparagus stems, herb stems, tough outer cabbage leaves and parsnip trimmings.
Smoked Salmon Quiche with Kale Stems and Goat Cheese
If you need a bunch of kale leaves for another recipe, save the stems and use them in this festive quiche accented with silky salmon and tangy cheese.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: About 53 minutes
Makes: six to eight servings
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced kale stems
4 large eggs
3/4 cup 2 per cent or homo milk
1/3 cup light cream
1 to 2 tsp chopped fresh dill or tarragon, or pinch or two of either of them dried
• salt and white pepper, to taste
• pinch ground nutmeg
75 to 100 grams cold-smoked (lox) salmon, chopped
75 to 100 grams soft goat cheese, pulled into small nuggets
1 (9-inch) store-bought or homemade deep-dish pie crust
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the kale stems and cook and stir until tender, about seven to eight minutes, and then cool to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the eggs in a bowl and beat until well blended. Mix in the milk, cream, dill (or tarragon), salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Arrange half the kale stems, salmon and goat cheese in the bottom of the pie crust. Pour in egg mixture. Arrange the remaining kale stems, salmon and goat cheese on top.
Bake the quiche in the middle of the oven 45 minutes, or until the eggs are set. Rest the quiche five to 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Eric’s options: Quiche can be baked a day before it’s needed. Cool, cover and refrigerate. Reheat foil-covered quiche in a 325 F oven for about 15 minutes.
Eric Akis is the author of the hardcover book Everyone Can Cook Everything. His columns run in Life Wednesday and Sunday.
