Makingendsmeet

REDUCE & REUSE

This month, Country Range development chef, Paul Dickson provides some fresh inspiration for eliminating food waste in your kitchen.

With Stop Food Waste Day on 26th April, there has never been a better time to focus on this increasingly important element of kitchen management. Taking inspiration from the latest trends for French patisserie and comforting Italian cuisine, here are some delicious dishes for your menu that nobody would even suspect were created using leftovers.

Pimp Your Soup

The great thing about soups is that they are made using the entire vegetable - stalk, leaves and all, and they can be adapted to suit any audience and budget. If you want to ramp up your soup’s trend appeal whilst ticking another box in your zero waste goals, you’ll love my recipe for this in-season pea and spring onion soup with a parmesan crisp and croissant croutons. For anybody serving breakfast or brunch, I know the pain you feel when you have to throw croissants away at the end of the day. Well, this recipe is for you, as to make really good, crispy croutons, the croissants actually need to be stale. An added bonus is that French patisserie is bang on trend, making your soup a crowd-pleasing Instagrammable hit.

Don

t Bin It

We’ve all been there when a perfectly good slice of pie or cake gets broken. Before you throw it in the bin, it’s time to get creative. Find my recipe online for turning a broken piece of the new Country Range Cherry Pie into this delicious cherry bakewell ice cream.

Paul is a Home Economist and Food Stylist working in London and the North West, creating exceptional visual stories in film & tv, on social media and in print. All of the recipes and videos featured in the article can be accessed online at www. countryrange.co.uk/recipes or by scanning the QR code.

TURN TONIGHT’S DINNER INTO TOMORROW’S LUNCH

Don

t Gnocchi It

Potatoes are often another culprit when it comes to waste. Even if it’s just the skins, nothing needs to go in the bin. Use leftover cooked potato to make this delicious gnocchi dish served with crispy potato skins for a creative way to use up leftovers whilst making sure none of the potato goes to waste.

Gnocchi with Crispy Potato Skins

The Italians are experts when it comes to making sure that nothing gets wasted and with pasta and risotto being more popular than ever, having a few recipes using the inevitable leftovers can be handy to keep up your sleeve. Try adding this traditional pasta frittata to your lunch menu, perfect for al fresco dining as the weather warms up. Meanwhile, arancini is one of my favourite things to make using leftover risotto. The beauty of both of these dishes is the versatility as they work with any flavours. Got some leftover Bolognese? Stick it in the middle of your arancini balls and don’t forget to add a bit of mozzarella for that oozing centre!