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Food Rescue

June 18th, 2012 at 06:40 pm

Every three days or so, I go through my fridge with an eye towards what needs using up and what is going to go bad soon if it isn't eaten. Today I had some strawberries that weren't going to make it much longer so I took off the stems, cut them up and put sugar on them. The sugar helps to preserve them for a few days longer and helps inhibit mold.

I also noticed I had half an onion and some cilantro that won't make it much longer. I checked to see if I had a lime. I did. Since I just so happened to buy tomatoes and I only need one for the planned club sandwiches this week, I decided to chop it all up, squeeze on some lime, and have some freshly prepared salsa. I had some leftover green chile peppers the last time I opened a can and froze them in an ice cube tray. I rooted around in the freezer until I found it and thawed one cube's worth to throw in the salsa to give it a little bit more of a kick. DS likes to eat chips and salsa as an after school snack.

My daughter has been eating shredded cabbage in her lunch at school. She goes on jags. But I have a bunch all cut up that she is not going to get to so I made coleslaw with it. Since I don't like carrots in my cole slaw, my recipe is very simple and just using cabbage (green or red, whatever I have). I made a dressing that is 1/2 cup canola oil, half cup mayonaisse and about 2 tbsp of honey. This is sufficient for a pound of cole slaw. The dressing helps to preserve the cabbage for a few more days. We (or at least I) will be eating coleslaw with dinner tonight.

I had a couple of slices of bread left from last week's baking and so I tore it up and put it into a baggy for stuffing. Thanksgiving is coming up in five months and I figure it's time to start saving up bread for stuffing since we always make ours from scratch. Since there is almost never any bread leftover when I bake it, I figure five months is enough time to gather what will be needed. In a pinch I can always just bake a loaf for it, but I prefer to not have to do that.

While I was at it, I pulled all the meat off some chicken I baked this weekend and put the bones in my stock bag. DS will be eating it in quesadillas for his school lunches this week and DD might take some as well with her cabbage.

I finally finished off the mixed greens I had last bought before my lettuce was going strong, so now I am on just our own lettuce, hopefully for the rest of the summer.

I did find a cantaloupe that is going to have to go to the chickens. Somehow it got buried in the fruit drawer (I never put things like that there, someone else must have put it away) and it is kind of shrivelled and unappealing, but it will appeal to the birds just fine. Especially the seeds. I was sad to see it not get used by humans, but at least it is not wasted. The chickens will eat all the seeds and all the fruit right down to the rind. Then the rind goes in the compost. I do like to give the chickens a treat now and then and cantaloupe is their favorite. Still, I wish I'd known it was there sooner because it is one of my favorites, too. Can't win them all, but I'm getting much better at it when it comes to food waste.

2 Responses to “Food Rescue”

  1. rob62521 Says:
    1340048269

    Your "rescue" sounds awesome and I bet the chickies will love the treat too. Can't win them all.

  2. baselle Says:
    1340065381

    Awesome plans for the produce. I also like roasting vegetables and pouring tahini sauce on them (tahini, lemon juice, water wisked to a sauce consistency). I tend to prefer the refeer about half full for the two of us. Just enough to keep track of and use everything.

    And even if you put the stuff in the compost bin, something is eating it. Nutrient cycling is all about someone (worm, mold, bacteria) getting a meal! Smile

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