[i.e. the years I lived as a dumpster diver in NYC]
Slice eggplant and squash, coat with olive oil and gifted fancy balsamic mustard, roast.
Discover flavor remains bland. Carmelize onions. Add garlic, vegetable stock, coriander, cumin, salt, and pepper. Blend with roasted vegetables. Add cream. Lesson: when a concoction fails to charm, make it SOUP(er)!
As previously stated, I have great affection for my hand-me-down crock pot. What an invention! I tossed in a bunch of the veggies from the other night along with a smorgasbord of Asian sauces (black bean, hoisin, soy, black pepper, ponzu, fish, spicy/sour, Sriracha) largely left over from the Singaporean girls I used to live with. Turned on machine, let be for some hours.
I'm a picky apple eater. I like them sweet tart crispy. Freegan apples are often red delicious mealy--but perfect for cooking. Jane cored the apples with our freegan apple corer, then down the hatch plunked some brown sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, pecans, freegan raisins, a bit o butter, and for good luck: a marshmallow on top.
I had a lot of freegan potatoes to use up, as well as some beef chuck in the freezer. So naturally, I made meatloaf cupcakes with mashed potato frosting.
We combined freegan eggplant with an indulgent purchase of asparagus and roasted them with olive oil and and lemon.
I had a dozen nearly-expired limes that I had been meaning to use the last couple weeks. So I decided to make key lime pie. Except I only had mini pie tins that my old roommates had left behind, so I decided to make 5 mini pies rather than one large. We had a half a bag of really old graham crackers left from a work party, but that wasn't enough for all the crust, so I also used a handful of pretzel Ritz crackers that I had found in the trash. I thought the salty pretzelness would be a nice balance with the sweet tart of the pie, but didn't want it to be too savory so I also mixed in some fresh (also nearly too old) ginger and shredded coconut I found in the fridge. I threw everything for the crust in the food processor along with a stick of butter, then patted it out inside the tins. Then I made the filling and meringue more or less as dictated by the Joy of Cooking. It turned out seriously delicious. The crust was perfectly gooey and crumbly and sweet and salty. And because I put in 1/4 c extra lime juice and zest (and an extra egg yolk to balance it out), the filling was nigh exploding with flavor--it mattered not that the lime juice had come from limes that, on account of their browning exterior, often would have been tossed. And although I didn't beat the eggs as much as suggested for the meringue because my beater ran out of batteries, the topping was just puffy enough for such little pies.
Then we all dined on the roof, on a found table, with found cutlery and wine glasses, old jam jar water glasses, a box of Black Box poured into an old wine bottle, a beautiful view, and with dessert, a game of Cranium. Almost nothing matched or was even picked out or purchased, but the setting, the food, and the people were comfortable and wonderful and charming and that's what makes an evening memorable.
A shepherd's pie of sorts (or cottage pie if you must) concocted from the potatoes and tomatoes, and the kale and corn.
From dumpster to belly this week: fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, pizza dough, Ritz pretzel chips, eggplant, red and orange bell pepper, three types of squash, plum, nectarine, bananas, hot chilies, cucumber, corn, vine ripe tomatoes, watermelon, three types of mushroom.
I sauteed the three types of mushrooms with different stuff (chilies, onions, wine...) and rolled out the pizza dough (although there were so many packets I put most in the freezer), laid on top some spinach in red wine tomato sauce that I had made and frozen after a previous dive, then put on top various amounts mushrooms, then some grated quattro formaggio, olive oil and sea salt. Into the oven for 20 min or so, then sliced with my freegan pizza cutter. I also made gazpacho with the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and flat bread from another dive. Then I roasted the squash and dunked them in peanut coconut sauce from the Thai grocery. After, I turned the potatoes and celery into potato salad. And lo and behold, with the addition of the juice and a box of Black Box, I had a picnic for for 6 in Central Park and dinner for 3 the following night.
After fancying one for some time, I recently found myself the grateful recipient of a Crock Pot in the wake of a friend's move out. Now I invite buddies to join, we make tasty dishes, sit down to a romantic dinner, and salute of our fortune of friendship.
Oh look! I spy freegan items: folding wooden table, place mats, bowls, glasses, wooden chair, piano bench, futon couch, television, DVD player, speakers, fan, chess board, potted plant, pillows, vase, Hot Tamales, assorted books, candles, candle holders. The film theory books are just about the only items I purchased, and even most of those were used. Every item has a previous owner who no longer had use for it, but for the moment, I do, and when I don't, I'll take it upon myself to find someone that does.
Determined to find a use for them, I collected a couple dozen lemons from
the lemon graveyard underneath my aunt's Meyer lemon tree in Ojai.
I zested them all. And froze what I wouldn't use that day.
I squeezed them all. I set aside a couple cups, then poured
the remainder into three empty ice cube trays and froze them.
Once frozen, I popped them out of the trays and into baggies.
I composted the rinds.
And then using the ample amounts of zest and juice I had set aside,
I made the most delicious Meyer lemon bars.
This was another fortunate chance to try something new. I am much obliged, Mr. Trash. I've never cooked fennel before, and I don't really like brussel sprouts, so I can't remember a time I purchased them to cook on my own accord. This was my chance to make something agreeable! I also have a lot of dried spearmint that I've been waiting to find a savory use for. I chopped the fennel and coated it thinly in olive oil, then rubbed spearmint all round with a little brown sugar. I halved the brussel sprouts and chopped up some tomatoes and drizzled them all in olive oil, then dusted them with salt, pepper, cumin, and coriander. Then I laid everything out on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper. Baked them at 400º or so until they were roasted brown and cooked through. The two preparations were a welcome blend of savory and sweet. I mashed the potatoes with a few healthy splashes of milk as always, but then sprinkled them with celery salt for something less usual, but as it turned out, still very very yum. Then I pan-cooked a fillet of Chimichurri salmon from Trader Joe's--and that's the only element of the meal that wasn't from the trash.
I found myself with a can of sweet potato puree from one trash pile and a can of evaporated milk from another, neither of which I've ever really used before. I had a frozen pie crust also from the garbage some weeks prior, so as it turns out, a pie was in order. The pecans were leftover from a trip to Trader Joe's when my mom was in town and I mixed them with melted brown sugar and butter for a crunchy caramelized topping. It's lovely when various ingredients from different origins just come together peachy keen like that. Pantries are a great thing indeed.
My most treasured friend Julia Turshen came over the other evening to dine with me. I sauteed spinach and mushrooms with some flavorings that now escape me. Julia made a delightfully rustic pappa al pomodoro soup out of flatbread and tomatoes, and then pan roasted the tilapia filets that I had marinated in white wine, garlic, lemon and cumin. Save for the fish, everything had been found in the garbage. Candlelit whispers of sweet nothings ensued!
In my home, the day starts with a scrumptious breakfast! These perfectly plump blueberries are from garbage the other day. The pancake mix and maple syrup are from a few moons ago, and just as good as ever. To observe every nook and cranny of the yum, click on the photo.
Just a few minutes in the microwave turns one of these sweet potatoes into a most cozy rainy day snack.
Before we left the movie theater, I refilled all three of our popcorn bags once last time. The next day I heated up some crystallized honey that my aunt was getting rid of (crystals didn't matter since I was melting it), freegan brown sugar, butter, cinnamon left from a subletter, cardamon, nutmeg, and vanilla in a makeshift double boiler. I let it get good and gooey. Then I tossed in some pecans left from when my mom was here and pepitas left from a dinner party, plopped the concoction over the popcorn, and stirred. Once the popcorn was evenly coated, I laid it out on two cookie sheets. I had some white chocolate that my brother had discarded, so I melted it in the double boiler and drizzled it over the top. Then I let it all get crunchy in the oven at 275º for about an hour. The salty movie popcorn, nuts, and seeds lend themselves nicely to the cinnamon sweet coating. A perfect Oscar-night accompaniment!
Sometimes the food is just too good--I eat it all before I think to take a picture. This happened when I first cooked this meal, and again with the leftovers. It was peanut sauce with shrimp and freegan pasta, spinach, red pepper, broccoli, and onion. I hope to show you more of it next time.
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese, grape tomatoes, spinach, pepper, and Cholula.
Lunch: Quinoa (made with organic chicken broth) with green peas and pink beans, dressed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, cumin, dijon, and soy sauce.
Dinner: Curried tilapia on coconut rice with curried onions, broccoli, and pineapple, with toasted flat bread.
Freegan items: Grape tomatoes, German dark wheat bread, quinoa, green peas, balsamic vinegar, cumin, olive oil, broccoli, pineapple, coconut milk, flat bread, curry, all plates and cutlery pictured, as well and pots, pans, and utensils used in cooking.
Purchased items: 2 eggs (38¢), a dash of hot sauce (2¢), 1/10 of a bag of frozen spinach (17¢), 1/2 can of pink beans (54¢), 1/2 onion (35¢), 1/2 filet of tilapia ($1.07) = $2.53
These were three particularly tasty meals, I anxiously await that day I rediscover the leftovers in the freezer!
If you're allowed a leave of absence from the food pyramid for the Superbowl, then it's only fair to grant the Olympics similar treatment. In that vein, I have prepared myself a glass of boxed red wine from New Hampshire, a mug of freegan potato soup with frozen corn and spinach, freegan flatbread with melted cheddar, freegan spaghetti with freegan marinara, freegan Lifesaver gummy candies, and a freegan soy milk frappé with freegan Nesquick, all conveniently placed on a 99¢ tray from the Christmas Tree Shop and afront the visage of one Apolo Ohno. A night of pleasures.
Frugan February continues with sauteed freegan apples, cinnamon and oatmeal for breakfast. For dinner, 50¢ of steamed street vendor asparagus mixed with freegan black beans and brown rice, tossed with freegan soy sauce and sate spices from my mom. Bowls and cutlery were found on the curb (largely at the end of the month) and left by the former inhabitants of my apartment when they returned to Singapore (they left anything they didn't want upon my suggestion--and happily obliged so as to haul fewer things down 6 flights). Brainless, painless, delicious, and nutritious!
Freegan produce, tortillas, rice, and beans yield Mexican feast. The formula for simultaneously satisfying the Mother Teresa and the Ebenezer Scrooge inside of you is so simple.
One nice thing about dumpster diving is that you never know what you're gonna get, so you end up cooking stuff you wouldn't otherwise. Case in point: rutabaga. I don't think I had ever even held a rutabaga in my hand until I unearthed it from the garbage bag. But the superbowl was coming up, and I also had potatoes and ricotta from the garbage and parmesan and creme fraiche left from my roommate who moved out...so I made a slightly wonky but delicious rutabaga and potato gratin. I also had salsa, marshmallows, and hot dogs buns left from a previous dive, so I purchased the appropriate accompaniments and had quite the last-minute superbowl feast to share with my friends--and I even watched like two minutes of the game for good measure!
