Dead Veg

One of our recently graduated students taught me something new today. The "DEAD VEG BAG."

We were in a conversation that fits the season well, begun by one student who asked "have you ever made Chicken Noodle Soup?" I think this is a fantastically wonderful thing for a recent college student to be wondering and want to learn how to do. As I launched into my method for soup-making, the other just-graduate chimed in, "we use our DEAD VEG BAG to make the broth."

Dead Veg? Your what? I was intrigued....

So here's how her family does it: keep all the vegie parts that you trim off - onion skins, carrot tops, celery ends - in a bag in the freezer. When you've got a chicken carcass to broth up, just toss these things in with the carcass and water. After a few hours of simmering, strain. Make soup with your broth. And now take those pieces to the compost.

I don't know about you, but I love the idea of getting one more use out of the vegies before they are off to the compost pile. Especially since I always felt a little guilty for straining off those simmered vegies that I felt should be used in the soup.

I also appreciate being able to learn from these folks another method, another way of simplifying the process because someone asked a simple question. "How do you.......?" We have our ways of doing things, and sometimes we need to question these ways. By wondering out loud with our friends and family, "How do we......?" we open ourselves to considering the possibility that there may be a better, simpler, easier, better-for-the-environment, less time-consuming way.

And, maybe you've got some great idea to offer others....

So, ask the question!
HOW DO YOU.......?