Turnip green & pumpkin
ohitashi style sushi
April 17, 2008
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Rescued from the bin: forgotten vegetables transformed into a memorable vegan sushi
40% of all produce is wasted on the route from field to fork. The number is actually more like 60% and it’s easy to understand how the waste becomes heavier if we buy industrially produced food from far away places, highly packaged and marketed. Which is why I don’t do that. My approach to mitigating food waste is by buying less, (as if I ever had to bike to the store mid-week for some greens) and to prepare the leafy greens I get at the farmer’s market into something ’salad ready’ immediately.
For the moments when I still space out and don’t eat everything I buy, beware my Happy Hour! I’ve been developing recipes for forgotten vegetables which will also be used in a soon to open snack restaurant (currently in fetal position) run on the principle of hyper-use. Hyper use of facilities, hyper-use of restaurant expertise and available foodstuffs. The project is called Lucky Mi Fortune Cooking and I’ll be writing about it increasingly in the next few months.
Here is a vegan sushi recipe based upon the Japanese spinach ohitashi salad. It takes just a minute to make and it’s refreshing, beautiful and of course adaptable.
Turnip green and pumpkin Ohitashi-style sushi
- 1 bunch of less than perfect turnip greens (forgotten vegetable syndrome)
- 1 hand full of various sprouted seeds, leek works really well
- 1 spring onion
- 3 tbs. steamed pumpkin, cooled
- fleur de sel or seal salt, ground to a powder
- wasabi paste
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Blanch the greens for but a few seconds, plunge with cold water. Try to keep the leaves going in the same direction, as anal as that may sound, it’s actually easier.
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Wring out the greens enthusiastically.
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Spread out the greens on your sushi mat and sprinkle with salt.
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Place sprouts, wasabi paste and pumpkin on the matted green.
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Delicately fold the matted greens over, to start the sushi roll. Use the mat to roll the sushi tightly. Squeeze and squeeze and squeeze… in moderation.
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Turn out the sushi onto a cutting board and slice carefully. Serve in or with a puddle of soy sauce, or sesame dressing.
debra at 11:35 | | post to del.icio.us
Looks delicious….
Might I ask where you found your turnip greens?
Comment by Mari — April 17, 2008 @ 16:16
Mari, I live in Amsterdam and shop at the Biologische Boerenmarkt, op de Noordermarkt on Zaterdag.
In Dutch, these are raapstelen which I have losely translated to turnip greens. They are young, baby greens, among the first greens of Spring.
You can use anything - spinach, chard, beet leaves. Different vegetables will have different effects, but these are the most tender.
Comment by debra — April 17, 2008 @ 16:45
This is such an awesome picture - & idea! I love that you “rescued” all of these veggies :)
Very cool (& delicious-looking), indeed.
Comment by jd — April 17, 2008 @ 19:51
What a marvelous solution - I am going to try this one soon - so colorful and appetizing! Thanks!
Comment by greensgal — April 17, 2008 @ 19:57
WOW, first time I have found your blog. It is nice to see someone with similar concerns about food miles and the wastage in the industrial food industry.
Great looking sushi - I have never made sushi like this all.
Comment by matt wright — April 17, 2008 @ 20:29
that looks amazing! and healthy! mmmm
Comment by diva — April 17, 2008 @ 20:34
Clever, I love the presentation :-)
Comment by Marc @ NoRecipes — April 18, 2008 @ 6:17
That’s such an interesting way of using these vegetables. I really like the idea of rolling them like sushi.
Comment by Helen — April 20, 2008 @ 21:21