food scraps - Related Content

Seed to Skin Squash Sage Pasta

Ingredients:
5–7 sage leaves
(or 1 tbsp dried sage)
1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and chopped (keep the skin and seeds)
Extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled (save the skins for your vegetable stock or compost them)
1 onion, quartered
1 tsp paprika
3/4 Cup milk
1 pound pasta
Salt and pepper

To serve:
Handful of shredded kale

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 390 F.
2. In a bowl, mix the sage, squash seeds and skins with a tablespoon of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Place on a baking tray and roast in the oven for 15–20 minutes. Remove from the tray once roasted and lightly crisped. Separate the sage, seeds and skins for later.
3. Put your butternut squash, garlic and onion on the same baking tray with a light drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, pepper and the paprika. Roast in the oven for 40–45 minutes, until the edges begin to brown and crisp and the flesh is soft. Once ready, leave to cool on the baking tray.
4. To a blender or food processor, add your roasted garlic and onion and half of the milk. Give this a good blend until smooth and creamy. Add the roasted butternut squash, a few leaves of roasted sage and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse until thick and a bit chunky still – if you blend at a high speed continuously you’ll end up making a soup.
5. Cook the pasta until tender (or cooked to your liking), then transfer to a serving bowl with heaping spoonfuls of the sauce and toss to coat evenly. Serve with the roasted pumpkin skins and toasted seeds. Adding a bit of leafy greens like shredded kale can really give this dish more nutritional value (we musn’t forget our greens).

Story:
While looking for new food scrap recipes, I came across this yummy-looking pasta. I haven't had a squash yet in order to try it, so if you do please let me know how it turns out! I'm really looking forward to fall and an end to summer's heat this year, so I wanted to post a fall recipe a little early. I think this one is intriguing since I'm used to eating squash seeds (I love roasted pumpkin seeds in the fall) but I've never thought to eat the skins. This recipe is adapted from Chef Max La Manna.

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Hi there, Iggy here! Last week’s recipes were all under the seasonal category, and I talked a lot about what eating seasonally meant in my first post. This week, I’m changing focus to present food scrap recipes! I got an interesting question the other day about what “food scraps” means, so I thought I’d try to clear it up with a short post.

The woman I was talking to thought food scraps meant what you scrape off your plate after a meal, and she seemed a little disgusted by the idea. I can’t blame her! Luckily, that’s not at all what I’m talking about. What you scrape off your plate is called post-consumer food waste, and that should almost always be dumped. This is different from leftovers, or what you save to put in your fridge to eat later, although leftovers can sometimes be great for repurposing (I’m thinking about those turkey sandwiches from Thanksgiving, yummm!).  

No, what I mean by food scraps is pre-consumer food waste. This is what you might generate while prepping your meal, things like potato peels, squash seeds and (in the case of Monday’s recipe) broccoli stems. A lot of pre-consumer waste is still edible and often more nutritious than the parts we normally eat. For instance, apple peels have a lot more vitamins and minerals in them than the white flesh of the apple. Maybe if we include those skins in our apple pies, we could call it a healthy meal? I wish, haha.

Now that you know a little more about what I mean by food scraps, what kind of recipes do you have that call for them? I’m posting up my recipes for broccoli stems and squash extras this week. Maybe you have a special casserole or a bone broth soup? I’d love to see them and share them for you!

P.S. I didn't have a good clear picture of food scraps to share, so I hope you enjoy this one I took the other day of a pair of sunflowers up at the FSPA gardens!

If you would like to be notified when we share new recipes, be sure to scroll to the bottom, provide your email address, check the box confirming you are not a robot, click on a few photos to prove it and click subscribe! You will then receive an email after each new post. Remember, we're always looking for new recipes, so keep sending them to ecopact@fspa.org!

Broccoli Stem Stir-Fry

Ingredients:
2 cups carrots, sliced into rounds or in ribbons
2 cups peeled broccoli stems, sliced
1/2 cup scallions, sliced
1/4 cup broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the broth and heat it briefly.
2. Add the carrots and a few drops of soy sauce. Cook and stir for a minute or two.
3. Add the broccoli stems. Cook and stir for another minute or two.
4. Add the remaining soy sauce, scallions, maple syrup, and lemon juice. Cook and stir for a minute. Cover and cook for a few more minutes. Continue cooking to your desired tenderness. Depending on how long you cook this, you may need to add a splash of water or more soy sauce to prevent the vegetables from sticking to the pan. If needed, adjust seasoning to taste by adding a little more seasoning.

Notes:
Don't have scallions on hand? Substitute a small onion (or half of a large one) and slice it thinly so that it cooks faster.

Story:
This morning in the FSPA garden, someone was dared to eat a piece of broccoli straight off of the plant (I know, I'd do this without a dare in a heartbeat too!). Of course he ate it, but just as he was about to toss the stem we onlookers stopped him. The stem of the broccoli is the sweetest part! "That's just a matter of opinion," he said, rolling his eyes, but he took a bite anyway. Those same eyes widened as he realized we were right! I was planning on waiting to share this recipe, but this seemed like a sign that this is the right time for it. This recipe was adapted from the website Natural Kitchen, and the picture also came from that website.

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Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients:
3 cups riced cauliflower (see notes for how to rice it)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, or unsalted butter
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons lime juice, or juice from one fresh lime
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil or butter. Once hot, add the riced cauliflower.
3. Cook, stirring frequently, until the cauliflower is tender, but still has a little bite, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Remove from heat, add the lime juice and chopped cilantro, and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Notes:

• There are a few options when ricing cauliflower. Regardless of which approach you choose, start with clean, dry cauliflower florets and peeled stem.
  • Chef's knife: On a large cutting board, chop the cauliflower until the size of large grains of rice.
  • Grater: Use the medium-sized holes of a box grater to grate the cauliflower.
  • Food processor: Pulse the florets until the desired size is reached. Don't over-process.
• If you’re one of those people who can’t stand cilantro, try this recipe with just the lime, or substitute chopped parsley, mint, or even epazote.
• For a heartier variation, try red Spanish style cauliflower rice. Add minced garlic and tomato puree.
• Or if you prefer, try cauliflower with just butter and salt.

Story:
Cauliflower is one of those veggies that I only seem to like when I don't realize I'm eating it.  But since someone gave me a few heads the other day, I've been looking for ways to use it.  I found this recipe that includes not just the florets (the parts you get in a veggie tray) but also the stems.  And to top it off, it's an easy and quick recipe that I used as a side-dish this weekend.  I used the food processor option to rice it.  This recipe and photo was taken and adapted from The Spruce Eats.

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