In the spirit of honoring our interdependence on things we usually think of as mundane, don’t toss your carrot peels. Instead, dry them, grind them and transform them into a powder. I find that the peels pack quite an intensely earthy and carroty flavor. I use the powder to dust soups, salads, add to bread dough and rim whisky glasses, as one would a margarita.
Ingredients:
- Carrot peels
Method:
- Each time you have carrot peels, store them in a freezer container. When full, thaw and dehydrate. If you have a dehydrator, spread out the peel and use the vegetable setting. Otherwise, place the peels on a wire cooling rack, allowing some space between them so that air reaches all sides. Turn the oven to its lowest setting, place your rack on a baking tray and leave the peels to dry for 5-6 hours. They are ready when they are dry to the touch but not yet brittle.
- Blitz in a food processor or coffee grinder to a powder. Store in an airtight jar for up to three months.
How do you honor your relationship with food when you eat? “Les carottes sont cuites. Je répète. Les carottes sont cuites.” The carrots are cooked. I repeat. The carrots are cooked. So began the BBC broadcast on 5 June 1944, enigmatically alerting the French that the Invasion of Normandy had begun. Never rationed, carrots were praised for supposedly enhancing the eyesight needed during blackouts and raids. Resourceful cooks turned carrots into cakes, curries and Christmas puddings. Carrots represented honor. To honor carrots, I waste not by making this zero-waste carrot powder.
More from The Mindful Kitchen:
- Pickled Pumpkin Recipe
- Peanut Milk Recipe
- Zero-Waste Peanut Pulp Crackers Recipe
- Zero-Waste Tomato Powder Recipe
More: A Roundup of Food Waste Solutions
An environmental foodie on a holistic path, Heather Thomas is mindfully committed to creating positive change, nurturing nature connection, and transforming the way we eat. Part practical, part meditative, The Mindful Kitchen infuses the everyday with simple nature-related rituals to reinforce thoughts as positive actions-creating focus, awareness and translating intent into lifestyle. Bite-size philosophical notes, meaningful questions, joyful rituals, and an abundant feast of vegetarian recipes are mindfully stirred together in this new-wave cookbook. Offering over 100 seasonal recipes, this beautifully illustrated culinary go-to encourages you to make mindful choices through how and what you eat. Add empowering flavours for wellbeing — inspiration, curiosity, and awareness — and this is destined to be a must have in every kitchen library. With fresh takes on old favourites, and new dishes to tickle the taste buds, there’s a recipe for every season. Ranging from a classic bubble and squeak, to a refreshing elderflower champagne, recipes include: Leek and Hazelnut Risotto; Pumpkin Coconut Soup; Preserved Pizza; Zero Waste Veggie Stock; Rhubarb and Lentil Curry; Oatmeal Honey Bread; and Apple Cake Lasagne.
Reprinted with permission from The Mindful Kitchen: Vegetarian Cooking to Relate to Nature by Heather Thomas and published by Leaping Hare Press, 2019.
