What to do with vegetable leaves and tops

 
Veggies/ modelling courtesy of Trinity Farm Organics

Veggies/ modelling courtesy of Trinity Farm Organics

 

July is an abundant month for beautiful British vegetables.
If you subscribe to a vegetable box delivery scheme or even visit your local farm shop/ greengrocer then you may be lucky enough to get your hands on a few veggies with the leaves and tops still intact.
Having a bunch of carrots with vibrant green tops or beetroot with the leaves is the ultimate sign of freshness. This is great news from a nutritional perspective because the fresher the vegetable, the more nutrients it contains.
The green tops and additional leaves needn't be wasted either. These too are full of nutrients and with a bit of creativity can be turned into some super tasty dishes.
Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Pesto
A versatile and super tasty classic.
Suitable for: carrot tops, tomato leaves, wild garlic, watercress, kale, rocket, all manner of herbs
Recipe: 65g of nuts/ seeds such as pine nuts, walnuts, cashews, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, toasted in the oven for 10 mins, 1-2 large handfuls of greens, 1 tablespoon of water, a couple of pinches of sea salt, some freshly grated black pepper, 1 clove of garlic, 100 - 150ml of good quality olive oil (or rapeseed oil for a milder taste), juice of half a lemon, some freshly grated parmesan (optional)
Pop everything in a blender and whizz until you achieve the desired consistency. A little bit less or more oil may be needed dependant on the amount of greens used.
Have a look at: this superfood kale & cashew pesto recipe
What to do with it:
Best uncooked to allow all of the flavours to truly shine so add it last minute or dollop it on top of things.

  • use it as a salad dressing

  • stir into pasta

  • add a dollop on top of soup (you are welcome)

  • add extra flavour to meat

  • stir through roasted vegetables

Stir-frys, stews & chillis
All are great options for using up greens. Just stir them through towards the last 2-3 minutes of cooking and you are good to go.
Suitable for: onion tops, leaves from pretty much anything i.e. beetroot, broccoli, radishes, kohlrabi, carrots
Have a look at:

Chimichurri
This is a South American classic used to add flavour to steaks, fish and simply cooked chicken but it works well to punch up vegetarian/ vegan alternatives such as cauli steaks or roasted butternut squash too.
Suitable for: garlic & onion tops - finely chop both or either and halve the garlic quantity from the recipe
Recipe: Chimichurri recipe - this base works well with other herbs too
What to do with it: dollop on top of any dish, just don’t cook it

Smoothies
A nutritious way to start your day plus you can pretty much “hide” most greens.
Suitable for: broccoli leaves, beetroot tops, kohlrabi leaves, carrot tops in small quantities
Recipe: Berry Protein Smoothie

Enjoy!

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Amid the chaos of the coronavirus, the overarching nutritional message has consistently been to strengthen one’s internal defences.
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