ROOTTO- LEAF

A lot of veggie scraps can be diverted from the compost heap onto your dinner plate. Here’s how. squash guts Roast the seeds with olive oil and salt in a 300°F (150°C) oven until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Sauté the flesh in butter until soft then whiz it in a food processor for a satiny puree. beet greens Like Swiss chard, beet leaves are delicious boiled in salted water until tender and dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. Slice the stems into 1⁄2- inch (1-cm) pieces and pickle in a basic brine. carrot tops Think of carrot leaves as robust parsley and use them in a classic green sauce such as pesto, salsa verde or chimichurri. Then serve it with carrots roasted in their skins. leek greens The dark green part of a leek is excellent cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces and stir-fried with garlic, ginger and dried chilis. Or blanch long pieces and wrap them around thick fish fillets before steaming. broccoli stems Peeled and thickly sliced, broccoli stems can be cooked along with the florets in most dishes. They are also terrific raw: try them peeled and shaved in our soothing Beef and All-the-Broccoli Soup (recipe page 156).