parts of foods you usually throw away

[Daylily]

I'm interested in learning more about the parts of fruits and vegetables poeple normally throw away. Like radish leaves..DD puts them in stir fries. I just found a recipe for Brazilian Black Beans that calls for carrot leaves, cauliflower leaves, etc. A friend from the Philipines says they eat pepper leaves but I'm kind of afraid to try them. I'm not sure she's talking about the same species of pepper as the sweet peppers we grow here.

 

Does anyone know of any other things like this? Have you used the throw-away parts or do you know someone who does?

[Cat]

Well, I know we had a thread about this a long time ago, but I've looked and can't find it yet.

 

But I did a web search and found a few very interesting sites. I'll post them here and when I have more time, maybe I can do a better search or consolidate some of the better ideas into one thread. Till then, have fun exploring these sites...

 

"Otherwise, Trash"

http://www.2minutestodinner.com/category/otherwise/

 

"Don't Throw Away Those Tasty Vegetable Trimmings"

http://simplegoodandtasty.com/2011/08/15/edible-vegetable-trimmings

 

"Secondary Edible Parts of Vegetables"

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/newsletters/vpmnews/apr02/art4apr.html

(Good, but pay attention to the leaves which must be cooked before eating!)

 

[Herbwifemama]

Apple peel jelly.

 

I don't eat them, but I like putting citrus peels in vinegar to make my own citrus cleaner. (though some people remove the pith and candy the peels. I can't figure out how to remove the pith. It doesn't seem as simple as "scraping" which is what all the directions say to do)

 

And my personal favorite- stock!

[Daylily]

Cat, thanks SO mcuh. Great ideas on those sites.

[Daylily]

HerbWife Mama you must have posted while I was writing. Thanks for sharing thos ideas!

[kappydell]

I have eaten the sauteed leaves (youg ones) of squash, and they were tasty. I also have tried an Amish recipe utilizing pea pods (non-edible ones) in which they were simmered in chicken broth, then put through a seive to remove the fibrous parts, and 'creamed' with milk, and thickened with flour for a creamed pea-pod soup. It was good, but seemed like a lot of work. I have shredded clean radish leaves for salad. They are nice and zingy. I almost forgot....I peel the outsides of both brocoli stalks that are too tough, and cabbage cores. Cubed and simmered, you can get yourself some extra servings of veggies. If the family is of a suspicious nature, cream them.

[Daylily]

kappydell, we cook and eat cabbage cores too! They're delicious cubed, cooked and cooled, in a salad. Also broccoli stalks. I'll have to try the squash leaves. How young do they need to be?

 

I read the three sites Cat linked to. There is some great information there. I especially liked the Secondary Parts article and saved it for future. It has a chart with most commonaly eaten parts and then the more unusual parts of several vegetables. Interesting things to try!

[Fullpantry]

I peel and shred broccoli stalks and add them to stews that I cook in the crockpot. They slowly cook all day and end up nice and soft. Been doing it for years and my family (who are not big broccoli eaters) have no idea - you cannot taste it at all.

 

Also use veggie peels to make veggie stock.

[kappydell]

I wonder if those cabbage core cubes could be used in my pickled turnip recipe? They are about the same texture...

[Daylily]

Full Pantry, that sounds good! We all like broccoli so I don't have to hide it.

 

Kappydell, I'll bet they would work!

[Cat]

I always just peel and chop the broccoli stems to cook with the "heads". So my family is used to them in it.

 

But I especially like to use them chopped up in my broccoli salad. They are mild and it fills the salad nicely.

[Ambergris]

I like to run the broccoli stems through a mandoline and then chop them for stirfries. People who eat around the broccoli flowers gobble them up.

 

We have always used leaves of broccoli and brussels sprouts as greens for chicken-back soup.

[Andrea]

Great links, CAt! Thank you!

 

This is also an invaluable resource:

 

http://www.pfaf.org/user/default.aspx