Using up all the food you buy is one way to fight against rising food costs. Reducing the amount of food you waste is helpful to our environment and it also helps our food budget.
Bread is one of those foods that most folks have in their homes. Sometimes it gets wasted or gets stale or moldy before you can eat it all. However, if you eat the whole loaf of bread, crusts and all, each slice of that loaf of bread costs you a little less. With a little creativity and some new ideas no bread needs to be left uneaten.
Let us eat bread to help stabilize our food costs and even prevent food waste.
Bread is a staple in most cultures. Guelph is fortunate to have many local bakeries producing excellent sourdough, pastries and bagels for our enjoyment.
Flatbreads are widely available to buy or better yet learn to make your own for that perfect accompaniment to your next summer picnic. Imagine a basket of warm, homemade naan bread served al fresco with grilled halloumi, home-grown zucchini and cherry tomatoes on a pleasant evening in the park.
Even our local food pantries are almost always stocked with bread thanks to the many generous donations from local food businesses.
Bread in all its forms is a source of energy from carbohydrates. These carbohydrates provide fuel for our bodies and brains. Bread often includes a source of fibre to aid our digestion and slow the rise of our blood sugar after enjoying a slice of bread. Omega-3 fatty acids in the form of added seeds like flax and chia can further enhance the nutrition of your favourite bread.
With the knowledge that some whole grain tortillas or a tomato sandwich made with flax bread has nutrition benefits we can focus on ways what is tto use all our bread. Homemade croutons can make quick work of the end of a loaf of sourdough. In winter, using up a loaf of challah bread in a mixture of milk, cream and eggs to make bread pudding is a comforting dessert.
Or how about pulverizing a stale baguette into bread crumbs for your next batch of homemade meatballs? Floating little cheese toasts in your soup or turning your hardening English muffins into mini pizzas are another way to combine the best of friends, cheese and bread. Even Marie Atoinette will be proud if you make a trifle with leftover cake.
Julie van Rosendaal, a Globe and Mail columnist and chef from Calgary, has an inventive day-old croissant recipe that is the best bread-use recipe I have seen. Roll out said croissant and add it to a pan of heated butter to crisp it up. Served sweet or savoury there are many additions that would love to sit atop this delicious food waste solution. She even re-imagines the leftover pastry as biscotti by slicing day-old croissants and rebaking them in the oven until toasty and crisp. Dip that in your morning latte for a feeling of satisfaction in both your stomach and your pocketbook.
Harvey’s Free Bread Market is a wonderful part of the North End Harvest Market’s food security work.
Every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. the market in the portable at Waverley Drive School (140 Waverley Dr.) the remarkable volunteers share a variety of donated bread products with anyone who needs them. Generous donations from local bakeries like Cobbs and Zehrs mean there is something for everyone.
We can all support the team at the North End Harvest Market through their Adopt-a-Week campaign. Help them out by adopting a week of the food at the market with your neighbours and family or offer to support them with your time.
They’re a great organization quietly and consistently doing good work! Check them out at https://www.facebook.com/northendharvestmarket.
