Salsa: An EasyWay to Fight Food Waste

If you read my recent Instagram post about food waste, you know how important it is to reduce what ends up in the trash. Especially when it comes to produce. One of the easiest, most delicious ways to rescue tomatoes, wrinkled jalapeños, or half-used onions is… SALSA.

I don’t usually use cherry tomatoes when I make salsa but I have with sauce so it’s basically a variation of that, with a slightly different flavor profile. I usually make soup or some kind of hash when I have odds and ends in the fridge that are still perfectly good but need to be used soon. This salsa is bright, flavorful, and totally customizable based on what you have. Even the stems of herbs or the juice from a citrus wedge can find a home in this mix! Ready to rescue your produce and make something amazing? Keep scrolling for the full recipe! And if you try it, tag me I’d love to see your creative, zero waste salsa twist.

Salsa

Ingredients: 

• 5-6 cups of cherry tomoatoes

• 1 large onion

• 3 jalapeños

• 1 bunch of cilantro 

• Salt

• Pepper

• 2-3 limes

Directions:

1. Put the tomatoes in a large pot add 1/4 cup of water and heat on high for 2-3 minutes.

2. Chop the onions and chop and seed the jalapeños, I removed the seeds from 2 of them, I didn’t want it too spicy.

3. Add the onions, peppers, salt and pepper to the tomoatoes.

4. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, turn off the heat and add the chopped cilantro and cover the pot with a lid.

5. Let the salsa cool completely, add the lime juice.

6. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.

7. Transfer to the blender and blend to your desired consistency, you can use an immersion blender if you have one. Pour into a large glass mason jar and store in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for 3-4 weeks but you’ll probably eat it before then. Enjoy!

Overripe tomatoes? Perfect—they’re sweeter and juicier.

Last bits of onion, garlic, or peppers? Into the pot they go.

Cilantro stems? Chop them up! They’re full of flavor and reduce waste.

This is more than salsa, it’s a strategy. A way to turn what you already have into something fresh and intentional.

Serving Ideas:

Pair with tortilla chips for a quick snack.

Spoon over rice, roasted veggies, or your favorite plant-based protein.

Add to avocado toast or baked potatoes for a flavor boost.

Beet burgers

This recipe is inspired by Eureka Burger in Berkeley and a recipe I saw in a magazine from The Change cookbook. I like simple recipes that use things that are mostly in my pantry. Also, it’s a pet peeve of mine to say something like “1/2 medium beet grated or 1 portobello mushroom chopped” Tell me how many cups dang it! Your idea of a medium sized beet and mine might be very different. And have you seen some portobellos, they’re literally the size of my head….okay enough bitching, lets get on to cooking these bad boys. Also, these freeze well, I sent some patties with my daughter to school and they were still really tasty.

Beet burgers

1 cup raw walnuts (1/2 walnuts and 1/2 almonds works great too)

1 cup uncooked oats

1 medium white onion finely chopped (any onion will do, even 4-5 green ones)

1 cup finely chopped portobello mushroom

3/4 cup beet, grated

15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed & drained

1/2 cup cooked rice (brown or white, quinoa works well too)

3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp chopped chives

3 Tbsp bbq sauce (smoky, spicy, whatever you like)

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 flax egg (1Tbsp flax meal & 3 Tbsp water)

1/2 tsp pink salt

1/2 pepper

In a dry skillet toast the oats for about 3 minutes and put into a food processor. Do the same thing with your nuts. Pulse them together until you have a fine meal that resembles sand. Pour in your olive oil and sauté onion stirring frequently until translucent. Add the garlic, mushrooms and chives, cook until the mushrooms are soft and remove from the heat. Stir in the grated beets, they’ll release a beautiful pinkish red color.

Get your kidney beans into a large mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher so you have some mashed and some remain whole, add the rice, oatmeal/nut mixture, mushrooms, flax egg, bbq sauce and spices until you have a moldable dough. This recipe makes about 8 burgers.

You can grill these outside or on a grill pan but this time of year I’ve been cooking them in a cast iron skillet or in the toaster oven (mine has an air-fry setting and that makes them crispy on the outside and moist on the inside). They only need to cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Serve on a bun with more bbq sauce if you’d like. I like mine with vegan mayonnaise, tomato, sprouts, avocado, lettuce and some vegan cheese. French fries or sweet potato fries with spicy ketchup make the perfect addition. Enjoy!