how not to waste food

and yummy food on the cheap

In the United Kingdom, one of the biggest problems is the colossal landfills of WASTED FOOD. Let us not be like that in God Zone. Whilst we are in lockdown, and who know for how long, we can relearn how to not be wasteful, and also resourceful. Younger people may not know, but this was what our country (New Zealand) was known for, for many decades. Let's resurrect this wonderful aspect. 

why? 

• it preserves and respects our heritage: Papatuanuku (Mother Earth). This is a time when we can ALL make a turnaround in this area. We rant and rave about it, and blame governments, conspiracies, "them" and "they", etc, but truly, we all need to actually do things for this preservation to happen. This is way more powerful and gives us more mana, than if we keep blaming and don't "do" ourselves 
• we don't need everything that we want. Honestly, if we want self respect, this is one of the easiest ways to get it: by not falling victim to the wanting and having mentality
• it's cheaper and saves us money 
• there is more to go around for everyone, and in this way, those who are suffering financially on low incomes, they can have what they need for their whanau (family) as well

have less waste

Stop biffing little bits and pieces. That scrap of cheese, that half a cup of unused cooked rice, whatever, that didn't get served up:

• freeze them and use them up as needed
• throw bits of cooked vegetables, cheese, grains, baked beans, dhal into a pot for soup
• leftover dhal can be combined with leftover mashed vegetables to make a spread or dip, or a pie with that scrap of unused cheese grated on top
• leftover dhal if it's thick can be a spread on it's own
• leftover rice can have a vegetable with it and an egg or beans on top
• leftover grains like couscous, quinoa, rice, can be used as porridge, or added to porridge
• leftover porridge can be baked with anything lurking in your pantry like sunflower seeds, coconut, almond meal, to cut up after to make "cereal bars"

We don't know how long this lockdown will go on for, nor about continued plentiful access to our favourite foods, so yeah, right now you might not be impressed with these hints, but (and I hope this doesn't happen), we might have to tighten our belts a bit more during this time. 

get more out of your vegetables

Some vegetables grow more food if the roots are kept in water. There are lots of google posts about this, but here's one to get you started: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/regrow-food-water/  I've got spring onions, carrot tops and various bits of herbs that I got gifted, regrowing. And I'm a bit self reproachful that I wasn't doing it all  along.

"stew" fruit

You know that fruit that you used to biff just because there was (gasp!) a bruise or mark? Or it was getting a bit soft? I pop it into a pot (ok, now I do it) with a touch of water, cover, bring to boil and simmer. 

• I'm having stewed plums and peaches with my breakfast
• you can have it with custard for dessert, using custard powder to save on using up your egg supply, and I bet custard powder is still on the shelves
• make a crumble topping for pudding. I never done this, so I'll leave it to google. Keep it simple

make your own stock

For soups, stews,  cooking pasta and other grainy things.  I have done this since I was a young mum. In later years, I did quite a bit of communal living, and my flatmates would be aghast at my vegetable stock method, but almost all ended up doing it as a way of life. As I write this, my son is teaching one of his daughters how to do it. 

What you do is, as you're preparing your vegies, you save the skins like onion and garlic skins for example, tail ends of your carrots etc, pumpkin skin, pumpkin seeds, stalks, crummy leaves. I would add that sulphur based vegetables like cabbage can make for a gassy stock, so I don't use them, but that's just a moi thingey. You can keep a bag in the freezer that you keep throwing them into, but I just pop them into a container in the fridge.

You put your stuff into a pot, cover with water, if you've got peppercorns, add about six, if you've got bayleaf, add one. Bring to a boil, simmer for a few minutes. Then I just let it stand and drain it through a fine sieve. Hey presto!! Nutritious water to cook your food in. (you're welcome)

chicken or meat stock

That chicken carcass which you so blithely throw out? Horrors! What a waste. Add it to your brew, with a splosh of vinegar to leach the calcium out of the bones, and you will need to cook it for much longer. And some salt.

And finally here's another excellent link for the Destitute Gourmet who is just fantastic. She also has a facebook page. 
http://www.destitutegourmet.com/