Stalks and Soba

Earlier this year, my partner worked for an organic produce company.  One of the perks was that he could take home the unsellable fruits and vegetables which would have otherwise gone into the trash.  Sure, the free produce was wilted or had holes, bruises, or bugs, but we loved the food nonetheless, and we would generously cut off the bad parts and happily eat the rest.  We were armchair freegans, and proud of it.

Since he changed jobs, we're back to buying produce again.  Our fridge is now stocked with only a few choice fruits and vegetables, and I have been trying to keep up the freegan spirit by eating every edible part of the select produce that we do buy.  For example, I started to save up kale and chard stalks by cutting them into matchsticks and stashing them in the fridge for future meals.  Cleaned and cut stalks can be stored for over a week in this way; over time they do dry a bit and bend into funny little curls though.

My favourite vegetable stalk recipe is spicy peanut soba noodles (using this Food52 recipe).  It is incredibly delicious, quick to make, and I'm certain it will convert the masses into stalk eaters.  I've simplified the recipe to the point where I don't measure any ingredients, and it all comes together in one bowl.  The trick is two-fold: 1) mix the sauce in the bowl you plan to eat from, and 2) add the matchstick-sized stalks into the pot halfway through the soba noodle cooking time.  Once the stalks and noodles are done, you can rinse with cold water and drain.  Toss the sauce, noodles, and stalks together, and enjoy!