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How to Turn Your Scraps into This Spicy Spread

Frank Guerriero

January 02, 2019

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Photo: Keirnan Monaghan and Theo Vamvounakis

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: some of the most delicious flavors in your crisper drawer lie in the odds and ends that usually land in the trash. In true #WasteNot spirit, we’re taking a page from chef Levon Wallace and turning those scraps into a fresh, vibrant green-top harissa.

Wallace starts by reserving the leaves from a few bunches of beets, turnips, or other root vegetables. Then, he toasts up the classic components of a harissa spice mix and combines them in the blender with the green tops, a handful of chopped herb stems, and a couple of extra aromatics. The recipe is almost too easy to be true, and the result is a spicy, versatile condiment that works great as a marinade for chicken or pairs perfectly with a whole grilled fish. Get the recipe.

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The James Beard Foundation's new cookbook, Waste Not: How to Get the Most from Your Food, offers up a host of delicious solutions to the pressing problem of food waste. Featuring 100 recipes from alumni of our Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change, Waste Not will teach you how to turn every root, bone, rind, and stem into an irresistible dish.

Waste Not: How to Get the Most from Your Food, published by Rizzoli,​ is on sale now.​ Order your copy today!

Frank Guerriero is the media assistant at the Beard Foundation. Find him on Instagram.