There was a time when folks knew how to make something from nothing. How to make use of everything. How to eat well in spite of lack. Our grandparents might have been the last generation in which this was common, but the knowledge does not have to be lost. We can all benefit from that wisdom and be savvy, scrappy cooks, avoiding unecessary costs when the ingredients we need are the very things we might have thrown away!
The recipe for this delicious savoury spread made from scraps is from one of my favourite books about food: An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler. It’s not really a cookbook in the conventional sense, but it does contain some lovely recipes, including this one.
Make something from nothing
When you’re preparing some broccoli, cauliflower, or kale (or a combination of any of these) save what you trim away and would normally toss in the compost. Chop up the stems and leaves into smaller pieces and add them to a pot. Adler’s recipe calls for 4-5 cups but you can make this with less, just use what you have. Add a couple whole, peeled cloves of garlic, a bit of salt, some olive oil, and enough water to cover by half, then simmer on low until everything is softened.
Transfer everything to a chopper, food processor, or blender, and process until you get your desired consistency.
Add some fresh parmesan cheese if you wish. Use as a spread on a crusty loaf, as an accompaniment for meat or fish, or mix into pasta. Delicious.
Here are the original recipe amounts for you to adjust for what you have:
4-5 cups leaves, stems, and cores of broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collard greens, swiss chard, or cabbage, chopped into 1/2″ pieces
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
water