This past week was rather busy. I ended up having to pick up the “chicken scraps” about 2 hours earlier than normal. When I arrived there were three boxes of scraps instead of the usual four. When I pulled into the driveway The Girl was waiting for me.
“No strawberries?”
“Nope”
“Maybe next time you should go at the regular time.”
And that’s all she said. I think she was just a tad bit disappointed there was not an overflowing box of free fruit for her to sort through. Oh well, beggars can’t be choosers.
I still think we made out like bandits. Here is what we were able to keep:
- 2 Eggplants {I have no idea what to do with them}
- 8 Red Delicious apples {brown bag lunches}
- 2 Pears {ate fresh}
- 22 Mushrooms {I dehydrated them}
- 7 head of Lettuce {I’ll be making lettuce wraps tonight}
- 3+ lbs Broccoli
- 3 green peppers {we ate stir fry last night}
- 3 zucchini {we enjoyed grilled zucchini & mushrooms on Mother’s Day}
- 1 bunch organic Carrots
- 4 {unknown variety} Peppers
- 4 stalks Celery
- 27 ears of Corn {grilled some and still eating some}
Here is what was leftover. I totally could have salvaged some of the greens, but it was hot out and I decided my time was better spent in the garden rather than sorting. And besides, the chickens LOVED their scraps.
You can read more on the topic of waste in the book Waste and Want: A Social History of Trash
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Dee says
Very exciting! For the eggplant you could try your hand at capponata, or moussaka, or just stuff them like you would peppers or zuchinni…
Heather S. says
She’s loving her fruit 🙂 I’ve heard that you can freeze the corn. I think either just like it comes or something about partway boiling it? I don’t know for sure, but then you can put it in gallon baggies and freeze for later… Maybe you’ll have to buy another freezer!
Melissa says
Still looks like a great haul. As for the eggplants you can slice them thin and use them in a lasagna instead of noodles. I do that all the time with eggplant and zucchini. If you use zucchini steam it lightly first to get some of the moisture out so your lasagna isn’t
runny.
Teresa A says
Mavis try this with some dip like marinara or hummus. My kids are about your kids ages and they enjoy it.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/baked-eggplant-melanzane-al-forno-recipe/index.html
Andrea D says
eggplant parmesan. slice eggplants into rounds, sprinkle with some salt & let sit on papertowels or dishtowel for a while to help get some of the excess water out. dip in a mixture of flour with salt, pepper, garlic. lightly pan fry. then layer in baking dish with some mozzerella & sauce & bake. don’t really know how long since i don’t actually use a recipe but probably at 350 for at least 1/2 hour.
Nicky says
It looks like those are poblano peppers (the large, dark green ones) from the photo. They are great in any mexican/south amerian preparation but are best known for chile rellenos. You have really inspired me to work harder on my own blog, which I started just before starting to follow yours. Hopefully you can take a peek at mine. I am so excited for you to hit your 2000 lb food mark as my husband and I also have a back yard garden.
Looking forward to your next harvest!!
Krista says
Wow, what haul! You know, that corn looks nicer than the stuff my local Fred Meyer was selling last week. Can’t wait to see what you decide to do with the eggplant.
Alicia Damschen says
I really want to see about getting some “chicken scraps”, but my husband is a little skeptical about using vegetables and fruits that have been thrown out. I’ll keep working on him though.
I’ve always wanted to make eggplant parmesan, but I always forget to salt it and let it sit so I end up roasting it in large cubes after I peel it with onions, bell peppers, cauliflower, tomatoes, salt, pepper, Olive oil and italian seasoning. Then I boil some penne pasta, reserve a half cup of the starchy water before I drain and then toss it all together with a little more olive oil (if not enough reserved water) and a bunch of parmesan.
Sunny says
You can make roasted eggplant soup…would be good with the roasted corn too! http://freshandfeisty.blogspot.com/2011/09/roasted-eggplant-soup.html
Sarah says
Nice haul even without the strawberries! I like grilling eggplant and making a nice veggie sandwich. Yum. The other suggestions are great too.
Sarah says
Here’s a recipe for grilled veggie sandwiches that I just saw on recipes.com: recpin051512grilledvegetablesfocaccia
Sarah says
http://www.recipe.com/grilled-vegetables-on-focaccia-1/?socsrc=recpin051512grilledvegetablesfocaccia
Sorry. Here’s the whole link. Apparently it’s time for bed.
Lissa says
I too make eggplant lasagna….I slice into rounds or lengthwise, salt each side and let sit for 15 min, rinse off, rush w/ olive oil mixed with Italian seasonings, and broil until browned. Then use in place of lasagna noodles. Also, instead of ricotta cheese (pricey!), I substitute cottage cheese (cheap!) Works like a dream.
From a Nebraska native: Boil ears of corn for 10 minutes, then cut off kernels with a sharp knife. Add a little sugar if you like your corn a little sweet. Then place in ziplocks and freeze. Wahlah, frozen sweet corn!
I picked up my 3rd batch of reclaimed food on Saturday. I canNOT get over how amazing this is!! Seriously. I ‘ll never buy strawberries or lettuce again. My tally? 15 ears of corn, 4 tomatoes, 3 huge heads of green leaf lettuce, and 5+ pounds of strawberries. Blown away……
Lindsey says
I got my first batch of reclaimed food today! So excited got 1+ pound of strawberries, 2 green pears, 3 red pears, 2 onions, 1 carton of cherry tomatos, and 2 apples!!! So excited to continue this!!!