Don’t Scrap That Vegetable

Athari Abdulaziz Almutawa

A large amount of food is wasted in Kuwait, for no reason other than it being something we are accustomed to. With the average Kuwaiti household generating 1.55 large bags and 2.46 small bags of solid waste per day, which is around 8.39 kg of solid waste per day, household food stuffs make up 51.1% of that (Koushki & Al-Khaleefi, 1998). This is roughly twice as much garbage per person than a person living in western Europe or Japan would generate. and it is substantially increasing every year (Koushki & AlKhaleefi, 1998). We can actually reduce our waste by utilizing our fruits and veggies from top to tail. These scraps can add interesting textures, flavors and visual aesthetics that may be a revelation to our taste buds and enhance our everyday meal experience. As well as being highly nutritive, rich in protein, minerals and vitamins.

Carrot tops

The feather-like green carrot tops are a great substitute to parsley, it has an earthy, mild flavor of carrots. They can be a great addition to salsa, soups and salads.

Zucchini flowers, juvenile leaves and seeds

Zucchini flowers in most parts of the world are just tossed aside but in the southern Italy, in the regions of Campania and Calabria, they stuff and fry them up into a beautiful delicacy called “Sciurilli or Frittelle di Ciurilli", brownie points if you can pronounce it in the dialect! As for zucchini, seeds have a similar flavor profile to peanuts and taste beautiful when roasted. While, juvenile zucchini leaves are best boiled first than strained and sautéed or can be a great addition to curries, soups or even risotto.

Broccoli stalks, leaves and flower stems

Just peel the stalks then boil ,roast or stir-fry them. Whereas, the leaves have a milder flavor

Cauliflower leaves and stems

The stems have a milder and sweeter flavor than the florets, and might be a little tough so peel before using. They can be a great addition to salads or flavorful stocks or soups. As for the leaves, the flavor can be best described as that of crispy seaweed. They can be a substitute to kale, chard or spinach, so toss them into a salad, sauté them or even roast them for that extra crunch.

Watermelon rind and seeds

Watermelon rind can be added to your water to give you a hint of watermelon, made into a jam and even in a natural body scrub with addition of few other ingredients. As for the seeds, if you love gardening, you can air dry them and grow some more watermelon or toast them in the oven to munch on.

Beet tops

Are a great substitute for chard and spinach. They have an earthy flavor with a slight bitter taste that can be cut using some lemon juice. Sautéed they can be a great addition to salads, or mixed in rice and pasta dishes. Basil flowers are a great addition to salad or fruit salad, you can even make basil salt. They give off that delicate floral touch to any dish. While having a much more subtle fragrant basil flavor.

Celery tops

The leafy celery tops have a surprisingly much crisper, stronger flavor than the stalks. They can be a wonderful addition to soups, stocks, or even salads adding a light fresh taste.

Sweet potato leaves

If you have ever noticed in Kuwait sweet potato plants are used in gardens and urban green spaces. The leaves and stalks are edible, the flavor profile is a milder punch than the sweet potato plant to the point one can even describe it as being similar to spinach.

Cilantro roots and stems

Their flavor is peppery and aromatic, and are much milder than the leaves. You can chop them up or mince them. It is quite a common ingredient in Southeast Asian cuisine and the Thai kitchen. It is used in dishes such as hot and sour shrimp soup (tom yam kung) and green and red curry paste.

Citrus peels

From lemon, lime, orange and mandarin, save them up, use them dry or fresh to infuse your water or tea or to create a sweet treat by candying them.

Sprouted onion and garlic

Newly sprouted onion shoots are milder and sweeter, while garlic shoots are bitter and pack a stronger flavor. They can be a great addition to salads, stir-fries and just plain old sautéed.

Reference list

Koushki, P. A., & Al-Khaleefi, A. L. (1998). An analysis of household solid waste in kuwait: Magnitude, type, and forecasting models. Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association, 48(3), 256–263. https://doi.org/10.1080/10473289.1 998.10463678