I read on one blog or another (sorry I have no idea which one it was, please let me know if it’s your idea I’ve stolen) about refrigerator soup, a vegetable soup made from the vegetables left at the bottom of the crisper at the end of the week. I took the same principle and adapted it for a simple, vegetarian pasta sauce.
At the bottom of my crisper were a couple of carrots, some stalks of celery, a red onion, some broccoli and of course some silver beet. I had some organic garlic in the cupboard, a little passata and half a jar of spicy tomato sauce that I picked up at the last farmer’s market. Put all that together and it sounded like a dish to me. I started my sauteing the garlic, onions, celery and carrot until the vegetables were soft, then I added the broccoli cut into florets and cooked for another few minutes. Then I stirred in the silver beet (I probably used a bit too much, it really just needed two or three of my bigger leaves) and the tomato sauces, season with salt and pepper and cook until the silver beet has wilted right down. Serve with some grated parmesan and cracked pepper.
It was really a very nice meal which I thought Mr Good was going to struggle with but he finished the bowl in record time, though he did suggest I was stingy with the cheese. What made this dish was great was the spiciness of the sauce, so if I do this one again (and knowing what I usually have left in the crisper at the end of each week I’m sure I will) some kick to the sauce will be a must. This one wasn’t a dish i served to the girls, they had both had a big eating day at child care including ravioli and bolognese sauce for lunch, plus two helpings of dessert.
For more vegetarian cooking, head over to Linda’s.
The New Good Life 
Sounds great to me – I do the same with the veg in the fridge. They get chopped up and added into whatever is making its way to the table that night.
I think I should always plan a meal I can just throw whatever veggies I have left on a Monday or Tuesday (my fruit and veg box gets delivered late in Tuesday afternoon). That way I should never end up with the month old limp celery or wrinkly carrot hanging around the bottom of the fridge.
Economical, practical, easy and good for you, can’t getter any better. Very creative indeed.
Thanks Norma, I was quite impressed with my efforts.
Good one! When I was a religious Sunday market shopper I would juice everything remotely juiceable in the crisper before I went to get more. As long as I had ginger everything tasted great!
I have to agree with Mr Good, cheese must be obscenely thick on pasta, and same goes for pepper lol!
looks really yummy, if you have passata and cheese the kitchen is your oyster. Those passata bottles are my favourite to collect for my future preserving adventures!
Juicing it is another good idea, though perhaps not for the quarter of a cabbage that was the only thing remaining in the crisper before the next lot arrived. As for the cheese I thought it would detract from the photo if I grated it as thick as Mr Good likes it! And finally you can rest assured that passata bottle was washed and saved…. Mr Good shaking his head as I try to squeeze yet another jar into the already full cupboard.
ew good point good point. All good points, I am guilty (but unashamed) of cheesing slightly, taking a blog pic then cheesing obscenely.
I’ve created saved jar boxes now, the jars I bought came in 2 boxes so I scored! it is getting a bit out of control though, I have to actually start making stuff to fill them with!
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