The vegetables I discovered in my crisper this morning were not upholding the expectations of their location very well. In other words, they will never again be described as crisp. If I don't rescue them today, they are doomed to the compost carton and since that would be a crying shame, I pull out my knife and get to work.
I love the alchemical process of cooking. It tugs at something deep and ancient inside of me, that profoundly human need to transform and change things matching up with an equally profound need to eat. To cook. To bake. To combine this with that and let it ferment. What a magical process, this turning everyday materials into gold.
So I smile as I stare down at the tangle of vegetables on my cutting board: three rubbery carrots, a pale, limp celery stalk and a few bruised and beyond their prime turnips. In my kitchen, old vegetables are actually a bonus. If they're not moldy or completely desiccated and wrinkled, they usually end up in a stew or braise where they add a nice sweetness. And since they're partially dehydrated, they seem to absorb the flavors of whatever I throw in the pot with them. Today that would be some leftover red wine and a pound of pork sausage meat. And a can of stewed tomatoes, maybe some mushrooms if I make it out to the store. A few, deliciously scented hours later, a proper dinner is ready.
And so, too, in this life we have the opportunity to change and transform ourselves. The constant stream of choices and challenges that make up our day cook us into something hopefully tasty, or at least interesting. My advise is to be careful about what you throw away and see instead if you can't transform the unwanted and bothersome bits and pieces. It may seem easier just to toss them away, but it is infinitely more powerful (and wise) to see if we can't somehow use them up instead.
Besides, we can't really throw anything away, including those old vegetables. We think they're gone forever but really we're just moving them to another location which (we know this) we're bound to stumble into sooner or later. So may you find the magic of alchemy in your kitchen today and turn a handful of ordinary vegetables, and maybe even your day or (what the heck) your life, into a feast beyond compare.
Related: Weekend Meditation: Enough
(Image: Dana Velden)
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Thanks for this. I'm usually good about using up everything, but I was about to go throw away everything in my neglected refrigerator and you have convinced me to take a second look. Turnips & leftover red wine may have a new life after all!
My partner and I experience something akin to thrill when we make dinner for the other and get to say things such as "the extra olives were chopped into this" and "the last bit of ginger is in here." Ultimate frugality and a challenge to think outside the recipe box!
Love this, Dana!
Old veggies are why I make my Everything But the Kitchen Sink soup. Almost anything can go in there.
My question is - what are the veggies in the top pan of the picture. They look like the tiny decoration pumpkins you get around halloween. Can you actually eat those? Or is that something else?
The problem with the old veggies is that most of the nutrition has leached out as well by the time they get to being in this state. I've been toying with the idea of getting one of those vacuum pack sealer machines but the plastic is so ungreen...then whenever I see those "green bags" advertised on the TV infomercial I almost am tempted to try it. Has anyone had any luck with either of these?
Kaete: Soups are indeed another great way to rescue old vegetables!
The photo above was not taken when I made the rescue stew from this post. Sometimes I just need a break from pulling out my camera very time I cook!
I picked this one in part because the stove says Magic Chef and that was a hint at what this post is about: magic, alchemy, transformation. Anyway, it is an older shot and if I recall, those are mini-pumkins. And yes, you can cook with them!
@ FengShuiByFishgirl
My grandmother has one of those vacuum sealers and it does make vegetables last longer and avoids that they become oxidized (at least she says so).
For my part, I have a large ziploc bag in my freezer, and whenever I have any sad looking veggies I prepare them (peel & cut in large chunks) and when the bag is full I make some soup!
I love doing this, not just for economic purposes but because I hate wasting anything. I think of it as a sustainable practice and one of the best ways to show gratitude. It's the same reason I keep my rendered bacon fat, make stocks and freeze my vegetable odds and ends.
I generally empty my crispers to see what I can use in soups and stews. Delish!
Sweeeet, I had no idea those baby pumpkins could be cooked! And I do love decorating with them. Next year there will be some new dish experimentation! Thanks!
Some past it's salad days baby spinach ended up in my lentil soup tonight, rather than the compost pile. Thanks for the inspiration! As a single person, it can be easy to buy more than you need or just plain not cook for days and this is the mindset I need to keep.
Did the same thing yesterday--cleaned out the veggies and made a broth. No waste and a good ingredient for the coming weeks. I've become much more aware of using what I have--this week is a no shopping week, since I have tons of stuff that needs to get used.
Someone gave me a tip I find helpful for limp celery. You submerge it ice water for a few hours or overnight and it re-crisps. This could possibly work for carrots but I haven't tried it. Sometimes I put a small plate on top of the veggies to help them fully submerge.
Dunking rubbery and limp veggies in water over night definitely works. The veggies will firm up as a result of osmosis.