The root to stem way of cooking is not new. It has been around a while and a lot of vegans and vegetarians have been enthusiastically promoting the trend of eating every part of a vegetable. Now, it’s being touted to become the hottest food trend of the year 2018, with the idea of cooking with every part of vegetable is gaining traction, especially in western nations. The trend seems to be largely positive as it encourages mindful cooking and promises to result in a reduction in the quantity of food waste being generated around the world.
Other than being environmentally friendly, the root to stem food trend also ensures that we utilize the nutrients in the stems and peels of the fruits and vegetables too. Normally, we throw away these important parts of the fruit, also binning all those nutrients. But now gradually, things are changing and people are realizing the advantages of consuming every single part of the vegetables and fruits they buy.
How to follow Root To Stem Food Trend
It’s really simple. The trend encourages you to be creative and utilize everything from peels to stalks, stems and even leaves and flowers, in adding flavor and nutrition to your dishes. The easiest way to make the most of your fresh produce is to cook them as is, that is, without removing all the parts that you normally would. For instance, did you know that one way of making wedges or fries crispier is to chop the potatoes without removing the peels and then frying them?
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Another way of utilizing what we traditionally call ‘vegetable waste’ is putting it all in your vegetable stock. For example, broccoli and cauliflower stems, carrot and radish peels and other castaways can all be stored and later used to make a delicious vegetable stalk or sauce. If you are too averse to the idea of eating vegetable stems, you can sauté them and then make them into a thick puree or gravy.
It goes without saying that you will have to be very careful about worms and insects that are sometimes found in these vegetables during some seasons. Make sure that you wash these very carefully and thoroughly, before you put them in your food.
Advantages of Root To Stem Cooking
Root to stem cooking is an excellent way of making the most of the health benefits that plants have to offer to us. Sometimes, the stems and leaves of the vegetable or peels of the fruit are more nutrient-dense than the edible parts themselves! Another benefit of adopting this method of cooking is to reduce the amount of waste generated per day. Moreover, utilizing your fresh produce in its entirety will help you to save money too!
As is predicted by food experts, in 2018 the focus of the world is going to shift to plant based foods, as we as a community become more conscious of the benefits of clean eating. Root to stem is an excellent way for mindful cooks to live and eat guilt-free.
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