Root to leaf

Carrots

• They're a great source of fibre, so add them to a smoothie, stock, soup or stir-fry.
• Fry or bake them until crispy and add a sprinkle of salt and paprika for a delicious snack, or garnish.
• Freeze the peels and add them to your next carrot cake for added texture.

Butternuts

• Butternut skins make delicious chips, so pop them in a deep-fryer for a quick snack.
• Slow roast a butternut with the skin on – the skin softens in the oven and becomes edible.
• Don't discard the seeds – place them on a roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil, and season, then roast until crispy. Serve them alongside any butternut dish.

Celery

Use the leaves the same way you would use herbs by tossing them in salads, soups, stews or deep fry the leaves and season with salt for a light snack or crispy garnish.

• Chop up celery leaves and combine with olive oil, capers, lemon juice and olives for a punchy relish that’s delicious with grilled fish and seafood.

Did you know?

You can regrow celery. Cut the bottom root off the celery (approx. 5cm) and place it in a shallow bowl with ½cm water at the bottom. Place it near a window with plenty of light and change the water every day. Soon, you will see small roots and the beginnings of green leafy stalks. At this point, it is time to put it in the ground, or into a pot with some soil. The celery will regrow fully, allowing you to cut off the stalks and leaves to use in your cooking.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are one of the few ingredients that are better when they’re past their prime; the riper the better – especially when it comes to preserving their summery flavour.

Did you know?

Adding the vines from vine tomatoes to tomato-based sauces intensifies the tomato flavour.

Onions

Several studies claim that onion skins are rich in antioxidants, fibre, vitamins A, C, and E, that they contain heart-friendly flavonoids and that they are good for maintaining blood sugar levels. Think twice before discarding them in future.

• Add them to stocks and soups. Let your broth simmer and remove the skins just before serving.
• Make onion ash by roasting the skins in a hot oven until blackened. Grind them up and use to coat soft cheeses or butter balls.
• Enhance the flavour of rice by adding onion skins to the same water you use to cook your rice.
• Should you not want to eat onion skins, make an onion tea fertiliser by soaking them in a bucket of water overnight – your plants will love this nutrient-rich mix.
• Alternatively, make a homemade dye. Simmer the skins in water with a white muslin cloth, t-shirt or scarf for 30 minutes. Allow to stand overnight then dry. It turns white fabrics a golden mustard yellow colour.

Potatoes

When making mashed potatoes, do peel the potatoes, but also add the peels to the water when boiling them – this will enhance the flavour of the mash.

• Fry or bake the potato peels until crispy. Sprinkle with salt for a wholesome snack.

Top Tip!

If your potatoes have sprouted, they’re still good to eat as long as they’re still firm to the touch. Just cut out the sprouts and eyes and proceed with your recipe.

Bananas

Banana peels can be transformed into chutney, blended into whole banana bread or even used to make a peanut brittle.

• Freeze overripe bananas in zip-top bags to use in smoothies.

Make it vegan

Swap out the yoghurt for a dairy-free alternative option – we have a wide range on spinneys.com.

Corn

Corn cobs make a delicious vegetarian stock. Once you’ve removed the kernels, place them in a pot with chopped leek greens, a few black peppercorns, parsley stalks and top up with water. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 2 hours. Use the corn stock to make risotto, soups, stew, or cook rice in it.

Brocolli

Top Tip!

Try steaming or boiling broccoli stems and leaves along with the florets – just make sure you slice the stems thinly so they cook in the same time.