01\ CRUNCHY Kale A lemon, or cavolo juice KALE nero, and PESTO zest 250g Fresh herbs, bunch Hazelnuts, 100g, toasted Parmesan or mature cheddar, 50g Sea salt, 1tbsp Olive oil or rapeseed oil, 100ml WASTE NOT, WANT MORE 02\ BROCCOLI STALK CHIPS Broccoli, f
Repurpose excess fruit and veg as gourmet treats and you’ll eat well while being kind to your bank account – and the planet. Nicholas Balfe from seasonal restaurant Salon has your menu sorted
METHOD
1/ If you have half a bag
of wilted leaves at the back of your fridge, don’t discard it. Balfe favours kale, but other greens will work, too. Zest and squeeze a lemon – the leftovers from your last party will do – and tip all of the ingredients into a blender except the oil.
2/ Blitz, now adding the oil
gradually until it’s well mixed. The extra fats help you to absorb the greens’ immunity-supporting carotenoids, but this pesto works just as well without the cheese, too.
METHOD
1/ “The stalk is my favourite bit of the vegetable,” says Balfe. “I see it as a cook’s treat, the plant equivalent of a chicken oyster.” Cut the stalks – rich in vitamin C and folate – into chip-shaped chunks, then season. Drizzle on some oil. 2/ Either bake them in a 180°C oven for around 15 minutes or, weather permitting, grill them on a barbecue. Serve piping hot with a dip such as houmous or labneh.
METHOD
1/ Massage salt into the leaves, then transfer to a bowl with brine. Weigh down with a plate and leave at room temperature for 48 hours.
2/ Blend together the apple, ginger, garlic, chilli and sauce, then mix into the leaves, along with the carrot and onion. Leave in a jar for up to six days before refrigerating. “It makes an ideal condiment for rich meats, oily fish and cheese,” says Balfe. METHOD
1/ Dig out your squashy,
over-ripe berries and tomatoes. Mash with a fork, then place in a saucepan with the other ingredients (choose your own herbs and spices, if you like) and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes.
2/ Once it has thickened,
allow to cool, then strain into a sterilised jar for an antioxidant-rich dressing. “It will keep almost indefinitely in the fridge,” says Balfe.