Food that's gone a little funny

Let’s embrace imperfection in the fridge and pantry. In the interests of avoiding wasting food, I am have become the champion of the floppy carrot, the sprouted onion, the stiffened bread stick and, yes, the mouldy cheese. Now I know we should never allow our foodstuffs to get into that state, but… it happens. And when it does, the answer is not the compost heap (at best) or the rubbish bin (what a waste!). It’s time for invention, creativity and sensible solutions.

There’s nothing wrong with food that’s past its prime. That wrinkly mushroom is just not going to win any veggie beauty contest, that’s all. Go on. Get a kick out of reviving forgotten veggies and using up leftovers.

There are very convincing environmental and economic reasons for avoiding food wastage. Did you know that households throw out more than four million tonnes of food every year which ends up in landfill, creating methane, a greenhouse gas that is 25% more potent than the CO2 from a car’s exhaust. Food accounts for around 40% of the contents of our household rubbish bins. However you look at it, that’s a helluva lot of potatoes, loaves of bread and squishy tomatoes.

You can save yourself a lot of money – and a bit of the planet too – with some planning and creative thinking. Here’s some ideas to get the ball rolling.

The floppy carrot
The Prima Donna of the veggie kingdom - they rot if they get too wet and they wilt if they get too dry. Easy no effort solutions for those carrots: turn them into hot chips, just as good as potatoes. Or replace some of the potatoes in your mash for a sweet change. Add a dash of coconut milk and a sprinkle of coriander for something a bit different. No time? Cut that carrot into sticks and pop into a bowl of water and they’ll keep for a few more days.

The lonely onion
It may be starting to sprout... Nothing wrong with a sprouted onion - it just doesn't taste as strong. Chop off the bad bits, cut into thick slices, paint with oil and chargrill. Then all you need for your salad is to add a couple of chopped tomatoes, or a sliced orange.

Stale bread
Use old bread for Skordalia, Italian tomato salad, bread and butter pudding (yum)…there’s an endless list.

Mouldy cheese
Harmless mould can develop on cheese, especially hard varieties. I find putting the block in an airtight container really slows down that process. I used to go through so much film wrap and cut off so much mould, but no more!

Rosemary Cadden is co-author of Making a Meal of It, a comprehensive guide to making the most of the food we feel guilty about throwing away. The book ($24.95) is available in most major book shops. Alternatively you can order it through PayPal at makingamealofit@gmail.com (Don’t forget to provide your address) or contact the publisher direct at www.wakefieldpress.com.au