Food Waste Friday - 01/06/12

One of the things that was important to me to try this year is to reduce the amount of food that we throw away. I have been embarassed by the amount of waste that we have. So this year I am trying to be especially conscious of what we need to use up before it goes bad. The only item thrown away this week was half a container of cantaloupe (approx $2.50). My daughter loves it, and she ate part of it, but the rest went bad before she could finish it. I did have a successful food rescue this week, the last leftover piece of cornbread from our New Years black eyed peas, greens and cornbread dinner. I found a recipe for cornbread salad in an Appalachian cookbook, and it is a good way to use up leftovers using whatever you have that needs to be used up. Here is how I made it yesterday:

Cornbread Salad
1 piece cornbread, crumbled
2 Tbs. onion (green onions are the best but I didn't have any, so it was regular onions)
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 c. corn
1/2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 piece of bacon, fried and crumbled
Ranch dressing, to coat (the recipe called for mayo, but I needed to use up the ranch)

Toss in a bowl to combine, and refrigerate. Be careful not to use too much dressing, just enough to coat.

What I need to use up this weekend:

• Buttermilk - more cornbread to eat with chili and a Buttermilk Chocolate Cake.
• Grapes - possibly some chicken salad?
• Grapefruit - I bought grapefruit when I made citrus marmalade, but the extras haven't been eaten. I found a recipe for grapefruit cupcakes and think I might give them a try.
• Oranges - Same as above, I think I'll juice them and use it for a glaze for some chicken thighs.