Good Question: Help Me Clean Out My Fridge!

Reader Dimara needs your help. Can you give her suggestions on good ways to use up her produce before she goes on vacation?

I'm going on a long vacation and need to clean out my fridge beforehand, so nothing goes bad while I'm away – plus, I can't bear to waste the last veggies from my CSA! I have one potimorron, 1.5 lbs daikon, 1.5 lbs pea shoots, limes, potatoes, and apples. Any recipes or meal ideas would be more than welcome!

Dimara, first of all, depending on how long your vacation is, you can probably keep your apples until you get back. See our tips on storing apples here. Same for the potatoes: you can get some ideas on keeping them fresh here.

Some thoughts on using up the produce: we are looking lately at this recipe for braised daikon. Also, a quick sauté of pea shoots would be refreshing. For the pumpkin, what about a pie? Try our winning Classic Pie: Sugar and Spice Pumpkin Pie.

Any more good ideas for Dimara?

(Images: Flickr member Mr and Mrs Stickyfingers, licensed under Creative Commons; Faith Durand)

Comments (5)

How about making a big roasted and curried vegetable dish, to serve over rice, and freeze the leftovers

If you can't manage to work all the daikon into meals, trying pickling them. It's pretty quick work and will keep in the fridge until you get back.

Pickled daikon is lovely, but I imagine tossing shredded daikon with rice vinager, a little sugar, some of that lime juice and a splash of fish sauce would be nice, too. Serve with rice, maybe with the pea shoots stir-fried on the side.

The limes would probably work for pomanders (stick cloves all over it, through the skin) if you wanted, too.

A potato gratin might be nice this time of year but I've got no idea what to do with the pumpkin.

i agree with the two above, pickle the daikon! pumpkin fritters or pancakes are always nice and i'm not sure about the potimorron...

I'd probably do a blended soup with the daikon, some apple and potato, and the pea shoots.