It ’s a vulgar trouble among gardeners , farmers ’ market place customers , and even the most well - intend shopper at Whole Foods : In our end to waste less solid food and be more sustainable , we sometimes compost more than we eat .
And we terminate up pass water some rather expensive compost . It ’s not because we ’re especially fussy or wasteful ; we just do n’t realize that most of the plants we grow or buy , from top to dock , are actually edible .
We do n’t often see them in grocery stores , we almost never total across them in recipes , and through false supposal passed down over time , we ’ve compose them off as bitter , tough , or toxic .
Unless you ’ve been innovate to other culinary art around the worldly concern , you may not have known you could use up the strange leafy greens that are squelch shoots or pepper farewell — vegetables that seem “ exotic ” or mayhap even uncanny to us as North Americans , but are part of the local food acculturation in Southeast Asia .
That is n’t the only part of the world where unconventional produce abounds , however . you’re able to witness many other country using the odds and ends of plants like chard stalks , watermelon seed , and leek greens in their everyday cooking .
These delicious flora “ scraps”—that you ’re credibly already grow in your garden — deserve a place in your kitchen beyond the veggie stock certificate great deal or the compost bin . They ’re also part ofmy core “ lazy gardening ” strategiesbecause it entail I can rise more food with less employment . And who can say no to that ?
pertain : These are all thebest reasons to mature your own food(based on research )
Before you toss those leaves aside out of habit , see if they make the list here . You ’ll learn how to go zero thriftlessness in the kitchen with slight crusade , and discover a whole new range of tastes and textures in the procedure .
“ Nose to go after ” does n’t have to apply exclusively to meat ! Are you produce any of these vegetables already ?
1. Leek tops
It does n’t help that every recipe you find distinguish you to chuck out the dark green ends and use only the “ white and light dark-green ” parts of leeks ( Allium ampeloprasum ) .
And it does n’t help that when you first look at them , leek tops are usually rather dirty and full of gritstone . ( Hey , they ca n’t help how they ’re grown . Have you ever encounter a new dug Daucus carota sativa that looked appetising ? )
But turns out , the dark immature oddment ( or top , calculate on how you reckon at it ) is just as flavorful as the white death .
With homegrown leeks that are new harvested , leek top are far from the problematic and beat - up leaves most people associate with store - bought leeks . Even if you buy them from the store , all you have to do is cut off the wrinkled bits that have been manhandled , and you ’ll be repay with succulent , tender folio .
Captain James Cook Allium porrum tops as you would onions : tossed in fossil oil over a medium flame until they ’re balmy and fragrant .
2. Carrot tops
perverse to pop belief , cultivated carrot tops arenottoxic . Unpalatable to some tastebuds , maybe , but for certain not poisonous .
Often discarded for having a unsympathetic texture , the Green from carrot ( Daucus carota subsp . sativus ) are best used as an dialect or in a condiment , like thistangy carrot top salsa .
They have a unassailable , earthy flavor ( not unlike carrots themselves ) and can sometimes be substituted for Petroselinum crispum when you need to enhance a savory or umami flavor .
Strip the tender carrot leaves off the tough stems and finely chop up them into soup and salads , or scatter them over pasta and rice . They ’re especially good in minestrone or any rustic vegetable soup as a garnish .
3. Broccoli leaves
When we see broccoli ( Brassica oleracea ) in the store , we unremarkably see a head roll in a few wilt leaves , which we immediately remove before cooking .
But reliable Brassica oleracea italica will — the billowy rosette of green that surround the bud as it ’s originate — are a veggie in their own rightfulness . Yes , you could exhaust broccoli leaves just like any other green !
Cook them as you would a sturdy honey oil like kale or collard greens . Their mild flavor make them idealistic for sautés , stir - fries , braises , and soups where they wo n’t overcome the residuum of the dish .
The folio that develop on other members of the Indian mustard family , such as cabbage , Brassica oleracea botrytis , turnip cabbage , and Brussels sprouts ( also known as brassicas or cole crop ) , are also edible . opine of them as a incentive harvesting while you wait for the heads and sprouts to age .
4. Radish tops
As one of my favorite salad greens , radish tops are often overlooked in party favour of the frizzy , peppery origin ( Raphanus sativus ) .
But I chance to like putting the tops and tails of veggie back together in my recipes , and the radish flora is a shine example of this ( raworcooked — it ’s delicious both room ) .
you’re able to wipe out the folio ofspring and summertime radishesas well as winter radishes ( like daikon , watermelon radish , or thedistinctive dark Spanish radish ) .
The welfare of wintertime radishes is you may glean a few leaves from each plant throughout the season until the harvest matures . If you leave to pull some of these plant and let them go to flower , the source bechance to make an excellent collation asquick - pickled radish pod .
5. Sweet potato leaves
Not to be obscure with potato ( the two plant are not relate ) , sweet potatoes ( Ipomoea batatas ) are in the same family as morning glorification , which is most apparent when you see both plants flowering .
The leaves of the fresh spud plant are soft in flavor and abundant in summertime . They can be harvested all season long while you wait for the genus Tuber to suppurate .
In mood where sweet potatoes survive class - troll ( it ’s a recurrent harvest in zones 9 to 11 ) , you’re able to grow them just for the unbendable supply of common .
The bid stems and leaves are both edible . They ’re silky like spinach and wilt beautifully when cooked . Heat fetch out their sweetness , so slash them into a soup , sauté , or arouse - minor , by themselves or with other vegetables .
6. Squash shoots
summertime squelch and winter squash ( from the five cultivate metal money Cucurbita pepo , C. moschata , C. maxima , C. argyrosperma , and C. ficifolia ) are the plants that keep on gift .
Most people know you may electrocute zucchini blossoms androast pumpkin cum , but did you also know that you may eat squash leaf ? The vines have an earthy sweet savor akin to the fruit they expect .
This means the integral plant is eatable at every stage of growth , from sprout to fruit . ( You ’re not composting those cutting , right ? They ’re scrumptious ! ) Though you may use the leave from any species , southeastern Asian cookery traditionally features the leaves of opo squash rackets , which is native to their culinary art .
To harvest , cut back off the last few inches of the squash vine where you see new growth . This bunch of stem and leaves is call a squash shoot , and it ’s the most tender part of the vine . Remove the tendrils ( which run to be knotty and stringy ) and cook the residuum .
you’re able to seek them in formula where you ’d ordinarily use chard and other likewise textured leafy greens .
7. Cucumber leaves
As a member of theCucurbitaceaefamily , cucumber ( Cucumis sativus ) share a bunch of the same characteristics as their squash cousins . This include being the thoroughgoing top - to - tail end works where the sprout , stem , parting , bloom , and yield are all edible .
refreshing , crisp cucumber vine sprout make an especially good salad greenish , but tender young cucumber vine leafage can be eaten as well . They ’re so light and elusive that they ’ll take on the flavor of whatever they ’re cook with , so I choose them natural .
You just have to be measured not to over - pick the leaves , which can stunt production of the cucumbers . Or , adjudicate seed a flat of cucumber source just for the alimentary - pack sprouts or microgreens .
8. Tomato leaves
Tomatoes ( Solanum genus Lycopersicum ) are a somewhat controversial plus to this list , but as I ’ve written before , Lycopersicon esculentum leaves arenottoxicwhen exhaust in moderation ( like everything else ) .
you could use them sparingly in sauces , soups , and salads ( which is where I feel their plentiful , distinctive flavor works well ) . Tomato leave bring a deep savory line that comes active when the leaves are cooked or chop to land out the oils .
My favorite exercise isinfusing Lycopersicon esculentum leaves in tomato sauce , whether you’remaking tomato sauce from scratchor hear to amp up store - corrupt sauce .
So the next time you ’re pick some green , unripe tomatoes from your plant , do n’t be afraid to reap the unseasoned , tender leaves as well .
9. Pepper leaves
Surprise ! The leaves from mellifluous pepper and blistering pepper plant ( Capsicum annuum and Capsicum frutescens ) are edible and they are downright delightful .
They have a milder Madagascar pepper look than the Piper nigrum themselves , and taste a little like white pepper — delicate and fragrant .
It does n’t matter if you use the leaves from a sweet bell or a fiery habanero , as the chemical chemical compound that throw peppers their heat ( capsaicin ) is concentrated in the rib ( inner membrane ) of the yield .
A popular use for pepper leaves is in the Filipino soup call tinola , though some homestyle Chinese dishes also use pepper leaf in braises and stir - fries .
10. Bean leaves
When it comes to the leafy honey oil of legume , pea shoots usually come to thinker first , and for sound reasonableness . They ’re among my favorite Green for how versatile they are ; you caneat pea shoots in the raw or cooked , or grow them into “ pesto . ”
But what about beans ?
While most citizenry have use up green edible bean , how aboutbean greens ?
You guessed it — the leaves of common light-green beans(Phaseolus vulgaris),yardlong beans ( Vigna unguiculara ) , runner dome ( Phaseolus coccineus ) , lima beans ( Phaseolus lunatus ) , fava beans ( Vicia faba ) , and hyacinth bean plant ( Lablab purpureus ) are 100 per centum edible . Like most of the leaves on this list , they ’re well used when untried and tender .
Fresh fava green saladsare my preference in this category , as the works grow tall and thick with modest - tasting foliage ( in a slightly sweet and bonkers horse sense ) . you could startharvesting fava leavesweeks before the pods emerge and all through the time of year .
you could glean the leave off other bean plants as well , but they ’re not nearly as abundant as fava greens and , personally , I try not to lay on the line production if the plants are new .
11. Garlic and onion shoots
If you ’ve grown hardneck garlic , you ’re believably conversant with theflower stalks known as garlic flower stalk , whose scarcity make them somewhat of a culinary delicacy . But did you do it green garlic ( also called spring garlic ) is also edible andeven easierto grow ?
Green garlic can be planted in free fall or springand harvested while it ’s new for the leaves and immature bulb . It has n’t divided into cloves or developed the papery outer wrapping of matured garlic , which makes it look and taste like a cross of garlic and green onion ( in other words , pleasant-tasting ) .
The beauty of green garlic is how soon you may harvest the crop ( none of this plant - in - October - and - harvest - in - July business ) , so you may plant a round in spring while you ’re waiting toharvest your surrender - planted garlic .
have-to doe with : How I arise garlicto get full-grown bulbs
The same goes for Allium cepa . If you campaign out of scallion in the kitchen , you may in reality trim the circus tent off your Allium cepa plants to use in your recipes . ( Do n’t cut them all off though ; grab just what you postulate so the onion continues to develop . )
Or , harvest your onionsearly ( before the tops turn brown ) and enjoy the bracing , fond parting of those outpouring onions .
Disclosure : If you shop from my clause or make a purchase through one of my golf links , I may receive commissions on some of the products I recommend .
So, are you feeling inspired now?
Who knew that all of these workaday vegetable have comestible leaves ? !
You ’ll find lots of modern , approachable recipe for all of these plant life in my newest book , The No - Waste Vegetable Cookbook : Recipes and Techniques for Whole Plant Cooking .
bribe it atAmazon , Barnes & Noble , Books A Million , Indigo , or your local main bookseller . ( Tip : You canask any booksellerto localise an order for you . Support local ! )
