Walking through the old market in St. Louis made me think about how we shop for food

I was there last weekend and saw a produce stall selling a whole box of slightly bruised tomatoes for $2. My grandma would have bought that in a heartbeat for her soup, but now everyone just grabs the perfect, expensive ones. It got me thinking about how much good food we pass up for looks. What's your favorite way to use up less-than-perfect veggies on a tight budget?

3 comments

3 Comments

jenny_coleman17d ago

Wait, are you sure that market is in St. Louis proper? I'm pretty sure the big historic one is Soulard... that's the one with the good produce deals. Anyway, you're totally right about the bruised stuff. I make a huge roasted vegetable medley with anything that's a bit soft. Chop it all up, toss with oil and salt, roast until it's sweet and caramelized. It saves so much money and you can't even tell they were ugly.

paigem4517d ago

Ever try making a big pot of minestrone? It's perfect for using up all those sad looking veggies.

zara_garcia17d ago

Okay so the roasted vegetable medley thing, that's a really good idea. I mean, do you just use whatever oil you have on hand? I tried olive oil once but it burned a little in my oven. Maybe my temp is too high. Also, do you mix starchy stuff like potatoes with quicker cooking things, or do you add them in at different times?