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View Full Version : Struggling to use up all my veggies from my weekly my organic box



thegreenjudy
Apr 27th, 2012, 04:34 PM
Ok, didn't know where to stick that...

My hubby has been complaining that we get this box every week and often the veg goes off or they go wrinkly and soft because I don't use them quickly enough.
I still have cauliflower and cabbage from last week.

Now one of the problems is that I haven't been cooking much lately and I often don't know what to do with some of the veg (although I actually like cooking but my non-vegan past makes me lazy about
inventing new dishes). Like spring greens - I made some pesto but didn't like it and I don't know what else to do with it...I am sick of soups and I am not the person to make 3-part meals very often (1 piece of protein, carbs like potatos or rice and then some veg). I like doing 1-pot dishes. But the recipes online are not always very exciting.

Some of the stuff comes every week, so I get more and more leftovers every week. I already asked them to not put leeks in as my husband doesn't like them and I get migraines from them.
But I don't wanna kick a fuzz and ask them to replace half the box with other veg. I mean what am I supposed to do with 2 bunches of celery? I don't like nibbling on it. So apart from soup I can't think of anything else.
On top of that, organic veg doesn't last very long so that doesn't help. I wanted to use more veg that's why I get the box but what's the point if I'm not using it? Instead we both just nibble all day on
fruit, nuts and rye crackers, avocados or maybe sometimes I do some potato wedges. But I really don't wanna end up cooking the same stuff every week. Lots of it are basics like onions and carrots. I now juice the carrots
because I don't like eating them. I really want to get more out of that box but I guess we will have to eat potatos every day now :-) I also struggle to use the beetroot (which I usually don't like) I usually make soup out of it but that's all I can do with it which we both like...

Any ideas??

oh and we like stir frys but I think it's almost a waste to fry everything, don;t think that's the best way to use them ..

Lentils
Apr 27th, 2012, 04:53 PM
What's so bad about stirfrying them? If anything it will keep the nutrients better than boiling and such I'd imagine.

Most of the stuff that you mentioned sounds pretty lame though and I'd be in the same situation as you not knowing what to do with it. Beetroot, carrots and celery? Yuck! Personally I'd just be fussy and ask for replacements.

thegreenjudy
Apr 27th, 2012, 05:20 PM
The problem is I am already using too much oil and I make hash browns and stuff..but it starts making me feel sick..

Well I'll kick a fuzz then:-)

harpy
Apr 27th, 2012, 05:56 PM
We sometimes have leftovers from ours - I put them in the compost bin but it is a rather expensive way of getting compost. Some of the schemes will do a smaller/specialist box (or a mixture of fruit and veg) or will do it every other week - you could try asking if yours will.

Most of the schemes try to focus on local and seasonal stuff which means root vegetables and cabbage-type things at this time of year. We don't like cooking much but we find we can ring the changes by making stews, casseroles, roasted veg, pies, pilaffs, pasta sauces etc. Using different seasonings such as herbs and spices makes it a bit more interesting.

I also try and use stuff like celery and carrots in salads and also with dips such as hummus, instead of crackers - but obviously that doesn't help if you don't like it :) Beetroot are nice roasted (takes a while though unless they are very small) or you can make a nice pink risotto/pilaff with them.

For a stir-fry I find you need very little oil and I believe some people make them without any, just using veg stock etc to turn the veg in (though it wouldn't technically be a stirfry then of course : )

My main peeve about ours is that he brings sprouted seeds, when I can grow them myself - but I haven't complained because I think he is just doing it because it's hard to get much local-ish stuff at this time of year.

Risker
Apr 27th, 2012, 07:00 PM
Definitely sounds like stew ingredients to me, carrot, celery, potato, greens, all good in a stew. Don't forget the dumplings though!

I like pickled beetroot so I just put cooked beetroot in a container and fill it with cheap vinegar. How about this beetroot tarte tatin recipe (http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/chefs/hugh-fearnley-whittingstall/baby-beetroot-tarte-tatin-recipe)?

The BBC's recipe finder could be handy for you, you can just type in an ingredient and select vegan and it will give you a list of recipes containing said ingredient.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/search?keywords=beetroot&diets[]=vegan&occasions[]=&chefs[]=&programmes[]=

Firestorm
Apr 27th, 2012, 08:19 PM
You could try freezing some of them (carrots, diced onion, broccoli freeze well), celery/carrot/onion etc are also really good for making homemade veg stock with.

With regards to beetroot - cake: http://www.veganwiz.com/2011/03/25/chocolate-and-beetroot-cake/

Robinwomb
Apr 27th, 2012, 10:02 PM
For the stir frys, you don't need to use oil. You can use lemon juice, lime juice, water, braggs or soy sauce/tamari. Or make up your own sauce. I like to do the maple mustard sauce from the Veganicom cookbook (I leave out the oil because my body doesnt like it much either). Or just use a cooking spray.

Also, another thing to do with those celery. Chop them up and add them to an omelette or scramble for breakfast or even dinner. I have a recipe for chickpea flour omelettes (havent tried it yet but will Sunday) and I plan to use celery, onion, tomato, and mushroom in mine. I have also had scrambled tofu with chopped veggies and spices like turmeric or ground mustard. Celery works for that sort of thing. You can add the veggies to rice or millet or quinoa and throw in some beans and make a sauce to mix in for a filling meal. I have a spicy orange sauce I like to use for that stuff too. Or just steam the vegetables and eat them that way. I steam a lot of my vegetables that I cook, even beets. Beets also go well raw in garden salads. The cabbage, I like to add sauerkraut and tempeh and saute it on the stove with a little cider vinegar and add caraway seed. Another one is chop it up raw for coleslaw with raw carrot and apple added and make a creamy tahini dressing for it or a sweet and sour clear sauce. I absolutely love cabbage. I wish I lived closer. I'd have you ship the stuff to me lol. I go through pounds of vegetables every week. This year I am doing my own garden because it's getting expensive with the amount of vegetables and fruits I buy. Another thing to do with the celery is add it to smoothies you blend.

Daffodil
Apr 28th, 2012, 01:48 AM
I have the same problem some weeks so I rely on Google: i type "recipe + veg + veg etc" and it brings up loads of ideas to use up all the veg.

Or invest in a good recipe book.

There are SOOO many things to do with veg. :-)

p.s. I also have a pet rabbit who loves to share my left over, carrots, celery, apples, spinach etc etc ;)

The_Westons
Apr 28th, 2012, 03:04 AM
You could juice them.... It will taste a bit savory but better than wasting and highly nutritional for you, I like the idea of the rabbit or even if you have dogs you can mix carrots and celery in with the rest of there food. Also if you juice it you can use the remaining Pulp and juice in you compost heap and have thriving plants!

LouiseAbel
Apr 28th, 2012, 05:20 PM
First of all, I keep my veggies in the fridge and they last SO much longer than if I put them in my fruit bowl or whatever. If you're in Liverpool, you could also keep them in a box outside your house while it's still quite cold outside.

You could make vegan shepherd's pie, which is a good way to use up loads of different vegetables. I just do a couple of tins of tomatoes, lentils and/or soya mince, and loads of veg. You could use your leeks instead of onions in it, so start off frying finely chopped leeks and some garlic, the add the carrots, etc. Celery would be nice in this, if you like it cooked, which I do. :D (You can also incorporate vegetables into the mashed potato part. I sometimes mash cauliflower, sweet potato or parsnip with the potatoes but you could always do it with carrots or just have lumps of veg in there! I like lumpy mash, though, haha).

I could talk about food forever so if you want me to make up some more recipes, let me know, haha. (Don't sue me if they're not amazing).

Good luck. :)

EpicLibrarian
Apr 28th, 2012, 05:31 PM
I went through the same issue this past winter. We got really tired of beets and turnips, and couldn't think of what to do. So finally I chopped up the ones we didn't cook into small pieces and put in the fridge, and every morning when I juice I add about 2 or 3 slivers to each cup. It adds nutrition without changing the taste. It was the only way we could get rid of those things! I do like the idea of pickling the beets though. My husband loves those...

Fruit Tea
Apr 28th, 2012, 08:03 PM
Maybe you need to change your veg supplier? I've just started getting a fruit & veg box delivered - I've had 3 so far and have been really pleased with them. With this company you can choose the size of box and list your dislikes. They send out a mixture of items that are ripe now and some that will be ripe in a few days so they keep better. You can look at their website to see what is coming in your next delivery and swap anything you don't like and find out information on storing, preparing and cooking each item. They also send out recipe cards with the deliveries relevant to what is in the box. Whatever I have left the day before my next delivery, I cook up and blitz down for soup. I LOVE my veg boxes!

peanutbutter
May 6th, 2012, 10:19 AM
The first thing that sprung to mind when I read cauliflower was aloo gobi. Do you like/eat curry?

I'd make a biryani with the carrots, celery, cabbage and even beetroot (will give it a yummy hue) and serve aloo gobi on the side.

Or shred them all and drizzle over an asian style dressing topped with sesame seeds; you could even make a vegan coleslaw with those ingredients. Healthy Happy Life has several ways of making it.

Also, your freezer is your friend. If you're struggling getting through it all one week make a soup, a vegan shepherds pie and a stew/curry all in one day, split them in half and freeze half and eat the other throughout the week. We've got a bit sick of coming in in the evening and having to cook and clean up so we've started meal planning and cooking most of the sauces/dishes on one day then refrigerating or freezing as appropriate. Also, when we do cook something like a pie, lasagne, chilli or curry we tend to double up and freeze one for later. It means fresh produce never goes to waste as we are using it up and if we can't be bothered to cook there's always a homemade 'ready meal' available. Before we shop we do an inventory and see what we can make out of what we have and - as we have been doubling up so much - lately we have only really had to buy veg for raw salads and to serve steamed on the side of things.

VeganCD
May 6th, 2012, 11:32 AM
Veggie coconut curry, veggie shepherds pie, roasted beetroot is yum, stir fries, steamed greens with tahini sauce, carrot cake, bean stew with lots of veggie's.....

cabbage
May 20th, 2012, 01:40 PM
make a veggie miso soup with wheat noodles!

EpicLibrarian
May 22nd, 2012, 03:24 PM
I have lately been making all sorts of random dishes like chickpeas and dumplins, Tunisian ragout, and lentil curry, and what I have found is that I can just chop up whatever I have on hand from my weekly box and throw it right in there! Anything that simmers for a bit will take on the taste of the broth/sauce. This has also helped me significantly up my daily veggie intake (I eat the occasional salad, but not a real fan).

Blueberries
May 22nd, 2012, 03:40 PM
I don't get a vegetable box or anything but one thing I do when I have vegetables to use up is make vegetable crisps. Just chop whatever vegetables you want up into small pieces, cover in oil or whatever flavourings you want and crisp them up under the grill. Then they're great with ketchup, houmous, brown sauce, salsa, anything you'd use as a dip. I know its pretty simple but its great if you're like me and are always grazing.

thegreenjudy
Jun 18th, 2012, 11:39 AM
Great tips, thanks.

I have also found a new option to use up the "nasty" veggies. I make my own vegetable stock as a basis for soups :-)