Being a Parsimonious Gourmet is More a State of Mind Than a Structure

Maureen posted a comment asking why I don't include recipes on the blog. Its a good question, so I'll explain why I focus on technique rather than recipes.
First of all, recipes often stifle creativity, especially among people who don't think of themselves as cooks. Following specific directions is fairly simple - you don't have to be an instinctive cook to get good results.

Instead of providing recipes - there are already hundreds of thousands of recipes in cyber space - my focus is on getting you to adopt a thrifty sensibility about buying food as well as preparing it. Take a look at what's available and then decide what you might want to make from it. That was the idea behind the post about the less-than-perfect produce. Obviously, I'm not advocating that you buy spoiled food; rather, come to understand that there are different uses for different types of food.

When you want to eat fresh fruit, or make a salad brimming with crisp, flavorful vegetables, you should buy the freshest produce available; it's worth the cost and worth the effort to buy locally grown, superior quality food. But excellent results can be achieved in creating soups, sauces, cooked desserts and many other dishes by using unspoiled but not "raw-worthy" produce. Think about how many times you've tossed items from the fridge that hadn't spoiled, but you didn't think still had utility. The Parsimonious Gourmet responds differently to nature's bounty, accepting it in its various stages for what it can yield.

So, instead of focusing on recipes, think about what's salvagable. Here is today's idea to inspire your own creativity:

Roast just about any type of produce
Sure,you can turn soft fruit into a pie or a cobbler - and I do it when company's coming or when I am contributing to pot luck meals with friends - but that's a fattening solution, especially if you do it often. Instead, use what's on hand, either in the fridge or in the market.

Preheat the oven to 400 and then line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. You can find it in any grocery store alongside the plastic wrap and aluminium foil. (I use Reynolds Parchment paper; go to www.reynolds.com/ for coupons), or get these from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Silicone-Parchment-Sheet-Pan-Liners/dp/B00086IB5C/ref=sr_1_9?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1315073003&sr=1-9
 Using parchment to line the cookie sheet accomplishes two things - you won't have to wash it when you're done, and the produce won't stick to its surface. Cut out any bad parts, slice the produce and roast it until it has dehyrated and is golden brown.

These photos give you an idea of how easy this is

Roasted Applesauce is a great example of this technique when you find yourself with lots of bruised apples. Go ahead and use a mixture of apple varieties, or just one type. Wash the apples, but don't peel them! Takes way too much time, and besides, the nutritive value of the apple is in and right under the peel. Cut out any bad spots, and place the apple on a cutting board and slice it on four sides; that way, you won't even have to core it. Don't try to be uniform - just get as much apple off the core as you can without spending too much time. Toss the slices on the cookie sheet and roast for about 10 minutes, or until they are cooked, but not not burned. Scrape them into a bowl and either blend with your immersion blender or just mash it up with a large spoon. You can sweeten it with honey, sugar or Splenda, or not at all. Roasting the fruit concentrates the natural sugar in produce, so it's probably sweet enough without adding anything other than a few shakes of ground cinnamon. Incidentally, make as much applesauce as you have apples; it freezes beautifully, and then you can microwave the container and have warm applesauce whenever you want it. Real comfort food, and healthy!

While we're at it, this is a good time to plug the Cuisinarts immersion blender. It's indispensible for making Parsimonious Gourmet soups, and whips your applesauce into creamy submission. I can't live without mine.

http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CSB-76BC-SmartStick-200-Watt-Immersion/dp/B000EGA6QI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315072853&sr=8-1

Next post, well talk about what you can do with roasted cauliflower - and I promise you it will be way better than anything else you could do with this otherwise boring vegetable.