Hello again my friend!

This week, I want to talk about food waste. Specifically, how we can reduce or avoid it! In the UK, about 15% of all the food we buy, on average, ends up in the bin. This adds up to a staggering 10 million tonnes of food wasted every year.*

Throwing away food harms our environment and is also a waste of money - food isn't free, after all! Food waste is also counter to the Jewish value of bal tashkhit - avoiding unnecessary waste and destruction. The 13th Century Sefer haChinuch states, “It is the way of the pious… they never destroy even one grain of mustard in the world and they are upset by any destruction that they see.”

So what can we do about it?

Here are some ideas to help you avoid food waste:

• Check the fridge before you shop! See what you already have, and only buy what you need.
• Plan your meals. I have a loose, flexible plan for the week's meals to ensure that nothing gets forgotten. I can switch around the days if any veg in particular is looking a bit "eat me now!"
• Keep an eye on use by dates. Put newer items to the back, so you eat things in order. You may also like to designate one part of your fridge for short-dated items to use up first.
• Use your freezer. Pack leftovers into single portion containers and freeze for quick and easy homemade 'ready meals' later.
• Turn stale bread into breadcrumbs or croutons. Use straightaway or freeze for future recipes.
• Get clever with recycling leftovers! Stretch sauces or stews into soups - with leftover pasta or rice if available. Add cooked veg to salads or lunchboxes. Turn overripe or already cut up fruits into smoothies, or top with crumble and bake for a quick dessert.

I recently posted a new article all about using up spotty brown bananas. While we usually manage to eat all the other fruits before they get a bit past it, somehow we never quite finish the bananas before the last few are too brown and spotty to be appetising. But just because they're not good for eating, doesn't mean you can't use them in something else! From cakes and muffins to scones, smoothies, frozen desserts and much more, check out my guide to using overripe bananas here. It's a banana bonanza!

Below I've also rounded up some recipes and ideas for using leftovers, turning waste into treats, and generally keeping food from the bin. I hope you find them useful!

*Statistics from WRAP.​

Recipes for avoiding food waste

Despite our best efforts, sometimes we end up with foods that just haven't been eaten in time, odds and ends of packets that are hanging around, or leftovers that no longer look appetising. Here are some ideas to put these items to good use, and save them from the bin!

• ​Cheese and olive savoury muffins​
  These delicious savoury buns are great for lunchboxes or picnics, and a terrific way to use up odds and ends of cheese.
• ​Challah panzanella salad​
  ​A flavoursome summery salad made with ripe tomatoes, herbs, and cubes of toasted leftover challah. A perfect Sunday dinner!
• ​Healthier fruit crumble​
  ​Use whatever fruit you have - apples, pears, plums, berries, peaches... and bake under a layer of delicious crumble for a no-waste dessert.
• ​Spanish omelette​
  ​Leftover cooked potatoes are put to good use in a delicious Spanish omelette. This one also has courgettes, but you can use just spuds, or whatever leftover veg you have to hand.
• ​Tangy potato salad with herbs​
  If you boiled too many potatoes, it's a simple job to turn the remains into a deliciously herby potato salad! (Or try this one with a creamy curried dressing.)
• ​Queen Esther's toast​
  Upgrade your French toast game with this Spanish Purim delicacy. A perfect way to repurpose slightly stale bread.
• ​Full Jewish breakfast​
  Leftover cholent ✅ Two-day-old challah ✅ Sunday mornings will never be the same once you put your Shabbat leftovers (plus a few extras!) to work in the Full Jewish Breakfast!
• ​Fruity dark chocolate tiffin​
  This is my favourite way to use odds and ends from the baking cupboard - random dried fruits, bits of chocolate, half packs of biscuits... Mix it up and you have a fantastic teatime treat!
• ​Easy banana scones​
  Our favourite way to enjoy brown bananas! Especially good with loads of butter and a squeeze of honey or a splodge of marmalade. (More brown banana recipes and ideas here.)

Shabbat Shalom

It's strange to think that 'the nights are drawing in' but we've turned the corner and Shabbat is starting to get earlier - although it's still not starting till nearly 9pm here! These are the long, lazy days of Summer, and I hope you're finding all the best ways to put them to good use.

Here's wishing everyone Shabbat Shalom - Good Shabbos! I hope this Summery Shabbat brings us health, happiness, peace and contentment.

With love, Helen x.

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