From root to leaves – 5 food hacks to utilise every part of your vegetables

Have left over veggie scraps and herb stems? Can’t find a use for your carrot or celery tops? No need to throw them away!

Here are five food hacks to enhance the flavours of your meals while reducing food wastage at the same time!

1. Potato skin chips

Use some rendered bacon fat saved from this morning’s breakfast, toss the skins through a mixture of brown sugar, salt, pepper and thyme. Bake until crispy and golden and ta da! There you have it, a tasty side dish for dinner.

2. Corn husk, silk and cob tea

Don’t know what to do with the left over corn debris? Collect it and boil them up with some syrup and enjoy a light, sweet tea loaded with antioxidants.

3. Carrot top chimichurri

Don’t toss those tops! Chop them up nice and fine, mix them with spices (oregano, cumin, sweet paprika, red pepper flakes and garlic), olive oil and wine vinegar. Serve alongside some beautifully roasted carrots, vegetables or meat. Delicious!

4. A ‘bit of this, bit of that’ stew or broth

Collect the left over tops of beetroot, kale, radish, leeks, celery, carrot and any other tasty greens or herb stems you may have lying around and add them to a long cooking stew or broth. Watch those flavours dance!

5. Citrus peels

Save those vibrant rinds from your oranges, lemons and limes and reuse them for a fresh cocktail garnish, a zesty marmalade or to add a bit of zing to both sweet and savoury dishes.
*Note: you may also boil down citrus or fruit rinds, cores and skins with sugar into a jam to add a sweet element to a cheeseboard