Zero waste recipes with Master Chef’s Beth Thomas

Pickled winter vegetables 

Ingredients 

• 6100g leafy greens or herbs 
• 300-400g any hard winter veg (such as carrots, onions, parsnip, cauliflower, cabbage0 – 2 garlic cloves 
• Spices and aromatics (ideally some chilli flakes, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds) 
• 150ml water 
• 150ml malt, white or apple cider vinegar (if you do not have enough vinegar – make a brine with water and 2% salt ratio) 
• Sugar, honey, agave or maple syrup, to taste 
• Salt 

Method 

1. – Use a glass jar (ideally vacuum rubber seal): Sterilize your jar and lid – Bring measured water to the boil in a large pan, add the garlic, vinegar, salt, sugar (or honey) simmer until the salt and sugar have dissolved 
2. – Add spices/seeds – remove from heat & let it cool down 
3. – Rinse, peel, chop the vegetables, keeping the pieces long, by cutting lengthways – Season you vinegar: Add the spices to the jar and then the garlic from vinegar – Pack the vegetable neatly in the jar and leave headspace of 5mm at the top – Pour over the vegetables with the vinegar mixture until it’s covered 
4. – Seal, leave on counter and move to the fridge once cool or in a cool dark place (up to 4 months) 
5. – Can eat straight away, best to wait a few days weeks 
6. – Once open use within 2 months 

Tips 

• Avoid using metallic lids, it can create corrosion once it contact with the vinegar mixture – Natural rock or himalayan salt is preferable 
• Sterilise jar in dishwasher or in boiling soapy water beforehand 
• Sometimes garlic turns blue in vinegar (don’t worry it won’t harm you, it’s a chemical reaction to traces of copper in vinegar) 
• Don’t throw away the vinegar base after you’ve eaten your pickles – use it in vinaigrette, cooking water, sauces…you can add more fresh vegetables to this base over this time (make sure it still tastes and smells fine!) 

Salad bag pesto recipe 

Ingredients

• 1 large handful leaves – rocket, spinach, kale, mixed bag of salad 
• 1 large handful herbs – basil, parsley, chives, carrot tops,
• 1 garlic clove (optional) 
• 50g toasted nuts or seeds (or both!) 
• 100ml extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 tbsp any hard cheese or nutritional yeast (optional) 
• Salt and pepper (to taste) 

Method 

1. If using a pestle and mortar, start by bashing the garlic with the salt until crushed. Next add the seeds and continue until bashed into small pieces. Next chop the leaves and herbs and add to the pestle and mortar. Bash to a thick paste. Finally add the olive oil and taste for seasoning. 
2. If using a food processor, simply blitz all the ingredients to a chunky paste.
3. If you have neither, simply add the nuts and seeds to a bag and bash with a rolling pin into small pieces. Finely chop the leaves and herbs, finely grate the garlic and cheese and mix everything together with the oil. Season to taste. 

Tips: 

• Try adding roasted peppers, leftover olives or tomatoes to make a red pesto
• Delicious as a sandwich spread, dip, pizza topping and pasta sauce
• Pesto freezes really well so be creative with your leftovers and keep it frozen in individual portions for dishes in the future.

For more culinary tips, join us at our upcoming cook along where award-winning professional chef Monisha will show you the basics of Indian food! Book your place for Simple Indian cooking, Tuesday 22nd November 2022, 4:00pm – 5:00pm.