Emptying cupboards and the freezer has produced a couple of dozen jars and tubs of overlooked (or hoarded and rationed) ingredients that need using up. Mr B won't use them but he will likely eat the end product if I bake muffins and freeze them for him.
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| A selection |
Cherries that I dried in Greece (carefully rationed since)
Apricots - ditto
Horlicks
Goji Berries brought home from Singapore
Crystallised orange peel bought for making Xmas pudding last year
2 jars of Xmas mince (fruit and spices)
Some stale muslei
Sunflower seeds
Dessicated coconut
Pumpkin seeds
Flour: spelt, emmer, almond, millet, maize
Semolina
Beetroot in the freezer (I have used up the frozen mashed pumpkin and grated zucchini)
Blackberries in the freezer
Green tomatoes in the freezer (we have discovered that roasting these from frozen works well and they have a flavour and texture reminiscent of NZ yams - oca to everyone else)
Various fruit and veg languishing about the place - apples, carrots, sweet potato, quince
Even a tub of coffee flavoured cake icing left over from a birthday cake commission in February this year.
With the addition of some eggs, oil, and spices I am steadily crafting this hotch potch into 2 dozen muffins per day. I want the title of 'Leftovers Legend' - see this link https://www.voordekunst.nl/projecten/17754-leftover-legends-dinner-party-game-1#het-verhaal
A friend (with PhD in the psychology of communicating climate change and green messages) sent it to me. Linking it is my small contribution to helping her and her friends and colleagues build their consulting business.
Hari Om
ReplyDeleteAs one brought up to use (and eat) every possible scrap, this initiative holds great appeal! I detest food waste and have been astounded over the years to find so many of my pals will toss anything that is not daily fresh or "dated". You're going to have fun with all those rediscoveries! YAM xx
Mr B will toss spuds just because they sprouted😱 He is dictated to by the date on the packaging. I'll use anything past it's best if it hasn't curdled, doesn't smell toxic and isn't giving off gases that glow in the dark. I cut mold off cheese, skim mold off jam, cut bruised bits out of fruit and eat the lot - so far without ill effect.
DeleteThat will be an interesting batch of muffins....
ReplyDeleteInteresting 10 batches of muffins - I'm half way through the project.
DeleteI think you're already a Leftover Legend.
ReplyDeleteVery leftover...🤣
DeleteI clear out the jars in our food cupboard and empty them in the pig bucket. They love jam especially.
ReplyDeleteWe are the pigs in this household.🤣
DeleteAs one raised by that wartime generation who had lived through rationing and never wasted a scrap, I inherited my abhorrence of food waste from my 'Leftover Legend' parents and have concocted many strange, but mostly palatable, dishes over the years. So far avoided food poisoning despite a relaxed attitude to sell-by dates...
ReplyDeleteCheers, Gail.
Yup, some weird and wonderful here over the years. Like STOP signs on Greek streets, use by dates are just guidelines. Living on the boat, labels regularly disintegrated in condensation and dates became largely irrelevant anyway.
DeleteI agree with jab that you are already a leftover Legends and the food department I mean haha. The muffin sound interesting and Bob would be glad to help with eating them he loves muffins
ReplyDeleteToday's were Xmas fruit cake mix, grated apple and old granola held together with spelt flour. Even Bob might be tested by those.
DeleteMy goodness, what a stash! Have fun turning it all into edible yummies :)
ReplyDeleteSo far they have passed muster but it has invoked a kind of quiz in which the testers try to work out what's in the latest batch. They never guessed sweet potato and beetroot (Leftovers from a roast meal!)🤣
DeleteThinking over my cupboards and freezers we have possibly the same elderly variety show. Sell by dates have disappeared so it's only me who knows, has a vague idea, of how long they've been there.
ReplyDeleteAs JC says...they'll be interesting muffins
The dates on food are only a guideline😄 aren't they? You are right about others not loading their brain with the provenance of the food on the premises. MrB has no idea what's available and never looks - just goes out and buys new on the vanishingly rare times he makes a meal.
DeleteI try and use everything up too. It makes for some creative meals! Arilx
ReplyDeleteI love creative meals. I did howevet have a flatmate once who believed in one pot cooking but that was a creativity too far - peaches and coffee in the stew.
DeleteI never throw out leftovers. I definitely try to use them up or incorporate them into something new.
ReplyDeleteIf I have to throw out food, we’ll My dog teddy gets them. If appropriate for dogs.
Or the chickens get them. Nothing goes to waste her.
Mr B has plans for chickens. We have nothing that preys on chooks really so it's probably safe to let him. I'm planning on starting with a few goats (to clear gorse). I've had a few choice words over the years for the immigrants who brought gorse. NZ has enough of its own nasty prickly plants they could has used, we didn't need gorse. At least I have experience in controlling it and goats (generally speaking) are not toxic.
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