We throw away far too much food: up to 40% of what we produce for human consumption in United States ends up in landfills. Nearly one-third of the food produced for human consumption is wasted each year. That’s enough to feed 2 billion people—double the number of undernourished people around the world! And while the battle against food waste isn’t limited to a holiday, we’re taking this Earth Day to provide some actionable—and delicious—ways to confront the problem.
© Provided by Saveur
Don’t Throw That Out! A Dozen Delicious Recipes To Use Up Food Waste
© Photograph by Matt Taylor-Gross | Plate by Keith Kreeger
httpswww.saveur.comsitessaveur.comfilesimages201609waffels-1_2000x1500.jpg
Here’s the thing: Food waste takes many forms. It’s left to rot in the fields, bruised and ugly produce is discarded for purely cosmetic reasons, grocery stores carry too much inventory…sadly, the list goes on. But we’re guilty at home, too—and we’re not just talking about that bag of spinach left to get soggy in the fridge. We eat beet, carrot, and radish roots, but not the greens. We have an orange for breakfast and mindlessly toss the skin in the trash. But those discarded bits could be the secret weapon in your next favorite recipe. Chopping a bunch of carrots for a roast? Make carrot top pesto. Stuck with a bunch of bruised bananas? We have a silky banana-chocolate pudding for that. That pile of citrus peels? Candy the lot of them and add to cookies, cakes, or cocktails. Even duck skin and leftover bacon fat deserve a place on the sustainable table. Here are some of our best recipes to reduce food waste at home, so you can celebrate Earth Day with delicious (and environmentally-friendly) results.
© Matt Taylor-Gross
httpswww.saveur.comsitessaveur.comfilesoeufs-au-plat-bressanne-milk-bread_2000x1500.jpg
Leftover sourdough starter lends ordinary waffles a boost of flavor and a a crisp-yet-airy texture. Get the recipe here.
Use rich and smoky bacon fat to add flavor to vegetable or egg dishes, like this classic French meal of baked, cream-soaked toast and eggs. Get the recipe here.
Three types of tomatoes result in a bouquet of flavors and textures, from sweet to burst-in-your-mouth cherries fragrant with Italian herbs. Get the recipe for Oven-Stewed Tomatoes.
Ketchup made with roasted beets has a surprising, slightly earthy flavor—we love it in place of tomato ketchup on turkey burgers. It’s easiest to cook it over the course of two days: On day one, cook, cool, peel, and chop the beets; on day two, cook them into ketchup. A splatter screen will help keep splashes contained while cooking the purée. Get the recipe for Beet Ketchup »
When cooking vegetables, every last scrap and stem can be useful, so don’t toss trimmings like radish greens and kale stalks. Joshua McFaddenj of Ava Genes in Portland, Oregon pickles radish tops with vinegar, garlic, and chiles for a simple and flavorful condiment. Get the recipe for Pickled Radish Greens »
“I’ve become known for doing nose-to-tail pig cooking, so this is kind of top-to-tail vegetable cooking,” says chef April Bloomfield. In her cookbook, A Girl and Her Greens, Bloomfield offers this recipe for pan-roasted carrots with carrot-top pesto, shaved carrot salad, and creamy burrata. Get the recipe here.
Meaning “strong cheese” in French, fromage fort is a classic way to use up all the leftover ends and mismatched scraps of cheese in your fridge. In Julia Turshen’s version, which we adapted from her Small Victories cookbook, a little butter and a few splashes of wine round out the salty cheeses and help them become spreadable enough for topping toast or crackers. Get the recipe for Fromage Fort here.
© Farideh Sadeghin
httpswww.saveur.comsitessaveur.comfilesimages201511oven-stewed-tomatoes_farideh-2000×1500.jpg
While many recipes call for only the white and light green portion of the leek, we find that the deep green tops are perfectly delicious. When buying leeks for this dish, cookbook author Amy Thielen says to look for specimens that have all or most of their dark green tops still attached. Get the recipe for Grilled Greens and Leek Tops with Chile-Garlic Sauce »
Cornmeal is the centerpiece of this polenta-like savory porridge, drizzled with rendered duck fat and topped with crispy fried bits of duck skin. Get the recipe for Gascon Duck-Fat Polenta with Duck-Skin Fritons (La Cruchade)
© Khushbu Shah
httpswww.saveur.comsitessaveur.comfilesimport20132013-08recipe_beet-ketchup_1000x667.jpg
Though this recipe takes some advanced planning (you need to allow around 2 weeks for the bananas to ferment), it’s well worth the wait. The fermented, sweet tang of bananas blends with bitter chocolate for a tropical spin on the classic pudding. It’s easier, too, as the pudding is set with gelatin rather than egg yolks, which also lets the banana flavor shine through. Get the recipe for Fermented Banana Chocolate Pudding.
© Ingalls Photography
httpswww.saveur.comsitessaveur.comfilesimport2014Dont-Toss-Trimmings_2000x3000.jpg
Add candied citrus peels to retro desserts like fruitcake, or use as a sparkling garnish for cookies, cakes, and cocktails. Get the recipe for candied grapefruit peel here.
Sweet and silky ice cream flavored with ripe, juicy peaches simply screams summer. Get the recipe for Peach Ice Cream »
