We consulted food waste expert Wen-Jay Ying of Local Roots NYC for her best recipes that minimize food waste and help you get the most out of your veggies. “I personally love utilizing stems of any green because they are super easy to cook with,” says Ying. “You can pickle kale or chard stems and add them to any salad or sandwich or cheese board. Tops of root veggies are also commonly underutilized but can either be eaten raw, sautéed, or made into a pesto.”
- Strip leafy greens from rainbow stems and set aside. Trim off as much green as possible from the stems, then separate into colors, yellow and pale stalks, and pink and orangy stalks. Slice stalks no more than ¼ inch thick, and place in heatproof containers, keeping the colors separate.
- In a small pot, combine vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and mustard seeds, and bring to a boil. Carefully pour over each container of chard stalks, splitting the pickling liquid equally and reserving 1½ teaspoons for your dressing. Allow pickles to cool, at least 30 minutes. This can be done ahead of time as well.
- In a small food processor, combine tofu, oil, soy, mustard, and reserved pickling liquid, and blend until smooth.
- Chiffonade chard greens and place in a large bowl. Strain cooled pickled stems out of their liquid (which can be saved for another future use), and mix with greens. Either toss the salad with the dressing before plating, or drizzle on after. Finish with a sprinkling of black sesame seeds. Creamy Tahini-Lime Dressing ingredients:
- Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the tahini mixture while whisking. This will create a cohesive, emulsified dressing.
- Adjust seasonings to meet your flavor preferences.
- Pour over 4 to 6 cups slaw mixture. You will probably not need the whole dressing recipe to cover the slaw, so add it in a couple of tablespoons at a time, and toss to coat the greens as you go.
- In a food processor, pulse the garlic, Parmesan cheese, and roasted walnuts until coarsely chopped.
- Add the radish tops a couple of handfuls at a time, and pulse until coarsely chopped.
- Add honey, lemon juice, and zest, and pulse a few more times to incorporate.
- Pour in the oil slowly while the food processor is running until you reach your desired consistency. You may need to add more or less depending on what you prefer. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Store the pesto in a jar and add a layer of oil on the top to prevent oxidation. The pesto should keep about a week in the fridge.
