Edible vegetable scraps

In North America, we waste a lot of food. Some because it goes bad, some we simply discard or compost because we don’t know it is edible and nutritious. In recent years I have been experimenting more with the stuff I grew up throwing away. I have found, especially during the summer growing season, there is a bounty of good vegetable scraps. At the farmer’s market a few weeks ago, a vendor who had sold-out of carrots had a box full of tops. He was more than happy to give me a bundle.

Adding more greens into your diet will help improve your health and vitality. I am hoping this list will inspire you to give one or two a try.

Carrot tops

My favourite use for carrot tops is pesto. They have a similar taste to parsley, so I use the tops in similar applications. I have a carrot top pesto (raw vegan) recipe on the SAGE plant cuisine website if you want to give it a try or simply replace the parsley with carrot tops if you already have a favourite recipe.

Celery leaves

Celery leaves are tender and sweet. Instead of throwing the leaves away, include in your salad – they make a nice garnish. I also use the leaves in juicing and soups. I always have a few clear plastic bags of goodies (scraps) in my fridge for juicing, smoothies or soup.

Radish greens

For me, a good salad with mixed greens has a balance of flavours and textures. Why not try adding radish greens to the mix? They will bring another flavour note to the salad. I wash the radishes well, cut the greens off, stack and roll the leaves into a ball and slice thinly - chiffonade . Then add the greens to your salad and enjoy.

Beet tops

Beet tops are very versatile. I especially like beet tops in soups, but they are also good sautéed or in a salad. Use beet tops the way you would use Swiss chard. In the hearty chickpea soup recipe, I have on SAGE plant cuisine, the beet tops go in at the end to add texture, flavour and nutritional value.

**Chickpea soup with beet greens** - the greens add another layer of flavour and texture to the soup.

Kale stems

If you are making a salad, remove the leaves and save the stems for your next smoothie. Use a high-speed blender for best results because the stalks are fibrous. They can also be a bit stronger in flavour, so add kale stems in small amounts, so it does not overpower your drink.

Broccoli and cauliflower leaves and stems

The stems of both of these vegetables are may favourite part. With the broccoli, I peel the skin if it is tough, then slice it thin. With cauliflower, there is no need to peel. Throughout my travels in Asia, the dishes almost always include the stem and floret. For something totally different, try tasting the green leaves of both vegetables raw, see what you think. Try adding the leaves to salad. Both can also be sautéed like you would collard greens.

Herb stems

Slice the stems finely to add to your recipe or if you are going to be blending the ingredients, just throw the whole thing in.

Added resource:

Edible Food Parts You Never Knew You Could Eat – This article also includes some fruits. I was happy to find out kiwi skin, which I have always eaten, actually has three times the fibre and more Vitamin C than the flesh. Come late summer when the local corn is ready, I plan to try using the silk. The benefits seem too great to not give it a try.

Broccoli greens add flavour, colour and texture to this white bean and barley soup.