February 28, 2021

Keep is slow and simple… Keep a (food) scrapbook

So many onions get peeled around here. Garlic and broccoli stems too. Then there’s carrot tops and bits of herb we snip but do not use. These beauties can have a second life. There’s compost or stock—two classic ways to preserve food, save money and use less packaging. But what other hidden potential lives in your refrigerator or pantry?

Consider starting a book of scraps—a little notebook (or chalkboard or digital note) where you pause to list the food scraps your home produces. Keep your book for a week or a month or a year. Then start Googling. What can you do with the tops of green onions or the peel of a baked potato? How can you reuse beans leftover from last night’s meal or the final piece of bread in a loaf?

When you take the time to make note of what you toss, you might find yourself with croutons, pesto, candied orange peel, or fresh green onions grown from last month’s ends. Or maybe you’ll find yourself sketching apple cores or photographing the dust left by sunflower seeds. A new slow hobby is a magical thing to find in your food. Whatever your scrapbook reveals, enjoy the process.