Frugality

[Ann]

I have always been a frugal homemaker, but I find that as I preserve,
store, and prepare food for eating I am considerably more conserving
of my food resources. For instance, I save squash seeds for roasting
and eating. I’ve done this activity on occasion just for fun, but now
I view all parts of a plant as potential meal ingredients. Some
squash seeds are more likely candidates for roasting because they are
large. I like the seeds from Sully’s turban squash and another Steve
and Char Sullivan call Marina Di Chioggia, because the seeds are easy
to eat and delicious. Pumpkin seeds are also good for roasting.

The bread I make yields lots of bread crumbs. I am still looking for
a recipe and/or a technique for making less crumbly bread, but in the
meantime I save the bread crumbs for bread pudding and au gratin
dishes.

My local foods supporter, Rick, told me that the foliage from pea
plants is edible as a salad ingredient. I have found this to be true
– not only edible, but delicious. I started looking at other parts of
other plants as possible foodstuffs. Who says that the only part of a
broccoli plant which can be eaten is the flower? I have always used
as much of the stem as possible along with the flower buds, but the
leaves are as good as collard leaves in a stir fry or colcannon dish.
Broccoli seeds can also be harvested and used for sprouting.

I finished a jar of local pickles the other day, and couldn’t bring
myself to dump the brine down the sink. I had made the vinegar myself
after a number of expensive trials. I imagined that there were quite
a few nutrients in the brine which I didn’t wish to waste as well.
So, I mixed some of it with some plain tomato juice and created a very
nice cocktail which is especially warming and comforting when heated
or just mixed further with hot water from the tea kettle which is
always ready on the woodstove. I wonder what else I can do with
pickle juice. Any ideas out there?

I think literature and experience from the Great Depression of the
1930's could inform our attempts to eat locally (and to behave self-
sufficiently in many other areas as well!). I am enjoying referring
to a book from the library called, "Stories and Recipes of the Great
Depression of the 1930's". Oh! I just found a recipe for vinegar
pie!