| 1. Croutons | |||
| Croutons are so easy to make you don’t really ever need to purchase them. All those heels of bread that no one likes for sandwiches; extra slices of baguette that weren’t finished after the dinner party; that leftover dried-out piece of garlic bread? Save them all! As long as there is no mold, just keep them all in an extra bread bag on the top shelf or the back of the fridge. When you have enough, stack them on your cutting board and slice into ¾ in cubes. Then spread them out on a cookie sheet, spray them all with a good thin coating of spray oil, and pop them into the oven on a low heat (like 275o) to dry them out. Keep an eye on them, and after about 20 minutes or so they will be dried through like toast. Cooking times will vary depending upon how dry the bread is to start out, as well as the thickness of the slices. Set them on the counter to cool, then bag them up, making sure the different pieces are randomly mixed. Store them in the cupboard until your next salad. |  | ||
| 2. Chicken Bone Broth | |||
| The trendiness of Bone Broth is funny to me, as it’s been around for centuries and is so simple to make. Chicken bone broth is different from chicken stock in that stock is made by boiling the meat only in water, and bone broth involves boiling the whole chicken with the bones (and skin if possible) in the water. There are more nutrients in bone broth as a result. You can even use the leftover carcass from a pre-roasted chicken. Instead of picking off every tiny bit of meat and then throwing the bones away, put the whole thing in a stockpot, fill with water to cover all the chicken, and boil. Once you reach a rolling boil, turn the heat down to simmer and keep a tight lid on top. After an hour or two (the time need not be very specific), you’ll notice when you stir it, that the bones fall apart because the collagen has broken down. Grab a second stockpot and a large strainer or colander. Carefully pour the mixture through the strainer, allowing the broth to fall into the second pot. Then turn the hot contents of the colander over onto a large cutting board (or cookie sheet) and allow it to cool to the touch. Continue boiling the broth, uncovered, for another 15 minutes or so, allowing some of the water to steam off and the flavor condense. During that time, you can pick through the leftover solid parts, pulling out the bits of tender meat and discarding the cleaned bones and any skin or cartilage that hasn’t broken down. You can store the bone broth in canning jars in the refrigerator for several days, or in plastic containers in the freezer for months. If you’ve got extra ice cube trays and some patience, you can freeze them that way, then bag the chicken cubes up in a big zipper bag. That way you can use small amounts to add flavor to rice or vegetables later on. | |||
| 3. Breadcrumbs | |||
| If you’ve not used all your bread heels for croutons or if the pieces you’ve saved are small, breadcrumbs are a great use. Dry them out in the oven (275o for 15 to 30 minutes depending upon moisture content and thickness), then break the toast into chunks. Grind them all in your food processor, then sift, removing the larger chunks to be processed a second time. When the crumbs are small and consistent in size, pour them into a clean, dry canning jar and seal tightly. |  | ||
| 4. Pastry “Pets de Soeurs” | |||
| This is my Mom’s favorite!If you find yourself with scraps of extra crust after you bake your thanksgiving pies, make this French-Canadian classic. They’re a great treat for little ones who can’t wait for dessert! Roll the dough out slightly thicker than as you would for a pie. Spread with softened butter, then sprinkle cinnamon sugar all over. Starting at one end, roll the dough up into a cylinder shape, then slice into ¾ to 1-inch slices like a sushi roll. Lay the slices flat on a cookie sheet or in an extra pie tin and bake at 350o for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. | |||
| 5. Dry your own herbs | |||
| I love growing my own herbs in pots on my back porch, but I don’t always get to tending them as quickly as I should. To make use of an abundance of fresh herbs, pick the leaves from the plants before they go to flower. Remove the stems and dump the leaves in a colander. Rinse them well then turn them onto a clean dish towel to dry. Let them sit for a few minutes until all the excess water has been absorbed, then turn the clean leaves onto a cookie sheet. You can dry them carefully in a low oven, or just leave them on the cookie sheet on the kitchen counter for a few days. Once they are thoroughly dry, crunch the leaves up with your fingers and pour them into spice jars. If you do this every few months (especially on those dry California days), you’ll see a reduction in the amount of herbs you need to purchase at the grocery store. Parsley, basil rosemary and thyme are all easy to grow in Southern California, and cilantro is easy if you have the right proportion of shade. If you find yourself with more than you can use, trade them to a neighbor for some fresh lemons or avocados! |  | ||
