The onions in the fridge drawer needed using up, so the other day when I pulled the celery from the polytunnel and gathered in some of my wonky carrots I set to and made a batch of veg hash.
It's something I nearly always have in the freezer and is brilliant for any recipe that starts 'chop and fry one onion'. It's simply a mixture of finely chopped onions, celery and carrots, you could also add some garlic, but I tend to stick to the main three just in case I have to cater for someone who doesn't like garlic quite as much as we do. I use this as the base for soup, stews, pie fillings and curries, it means that the chopping and messing about process is already out of the way and the meal can be put together in less time.
My food processor is just a small one, an attachment to my Kenwood mixer, so I do this in batches and then mix it all together in my big mixing bowl. It's best to do it in like with like batches as the carrots take more chopping than the onions or celery.
Normally I freeze it in some of my little plastic storage boxes but they are all in use at the moment and I thought that with the freezer being so chock a block freezing it in zip lock bags (which I seem to have lots of) would mean that I can flatten and stack them to take up less space, and of course being flat they will also thaw out extremely quickly. I use my hash straight from frozen if I forgotten to take it out of the freezer to thaw before I need it.
From my two bunches of homegrown celery, the wonky carrots and the last of the onions I managed to make six 350g bags of Veg Hash, and one portion that went straight into the soup that I made yesterday,which I will be eating for lunch today .... as long as Mavis holds on to her breakfast ;-)
The only thing left over from my harvesting and chopping were the celery leaves, I bet you can guess what I made with them.
Sue xx
Sue....I love using veg hash too.
ReplyDeleteThey sell it in Tesco now in little tubs for the most ridiculous price so like you I make up tubs or bags when I have leftover veg.
Sheila
What an absolutely great idea ! Why did I never think of doing this, I don't know.
ReplyDeleteEspecially with this trio of veg as I use it a lot and I always have to start form scratch.
Míle buíochas. (a thousand thanks)
So tempted to start doing this!
ReplyDeleteX
That is a great idea!! I'm quite certain it is not sold here, but to make it yourself ahead of time is a fantastic time saving thing to do. -Jenn
ReplyDeleteVegetable burgers or samosas could be made from that.
ReplyDeleteCelery tops dry well too and make a lovely sprinkle to go in soups, stews or gravies for flavour as the leaves seem to have it concentrated in them.
ReplyDeleteYou are so organised x
ReplyDeleteBrilliant idea. It's like the Italian Soffrito mix. Ive never thought of prep repairing it in bulk but I will now!
ReplyDeleteThis is what the supermarkets ought to do with all their wonky veg! Except that they would charge a lot of money for it because it has been "prepared" (i.e. it has taken on "Added Value"!)
ReplyDeleteWhat a good idea, will be doing this.
ReplyDeleteWhat a good idea, will be doing this.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic idea. I'll have to give this a try
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, oh my gosh, I love that tin you have. Love it. That's the colour of our new bedroom walls. Vintage bread box. Love it. Happy eating and great idea. Love when we don't waste. It's the best.
ReplyDeleteCheers and boogie boogie.
I used to do onion, garlic and celery until my food processor broke. I haven't done it since. I really should invest in another small one.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fab idea- I need to do this!
ReplyDeleteWhat a brilliant idea! I've never thought of this and quite often have left over onions, celery etc. Usually I cook them all into a tasty soup but this is a great alternative so thanks for this :-)
ReplyDeletePs. I have compost bin envy, yours is gorgeous! Mine is an ugly plastic box on the side!