It has now been over a month since we started visiting the Addi Road Food Pantry every week.
Over that time, our previously weekly visits to Harris Farm have dropped to once every three weeks, and we’ve eaten more vegetables than ever before. We spend an average of $10 at the Food Pantry on purchases, then add a $10 donation. So on top of donating a box of food to a family in need each week, plus rescuing edibles that would otherwise be destined for landfill, we’re also saving $40 a week. In fact, everything you see in the photo above cost us just $7 (plus the donation).
Shopping this way has forced us to become more creative in our meal prep, but it’s been worth it as the results have been delicious!
This salmon feast was put together entirely from rescued food…
A free loaf of day-old fig and walnut artisan sourdough became three bread and butter puddings, two of which went to neighbours. Our friend Will declared it to be the best yet…
This Japanese inspired salad has been a staple in our house for over 30 years and it always has two ingredients: corn kernels and tinned tuna in oil. The can of corn, cos lettuce, onion, cucumber and sourdough were all from the food pantry, to which we added a tin of tuna from our cupboard stores. It was simply dressed with balsamic vinegar, oil from the tuna, and black pepper…
Small Man isn’t a huge fan, so he had baked bean toasties and undressed greens instead, made from Addi Road sourdough, tinned beans and salad veg…
This Croatian cabbage soup (a riff on this recipe) is quite different to what we would usually prepare, but it was surprisingly tasty. As my dad used to say, it didn’t cost a brass razoo!
We used (a portion of) the two cabbages we’d been given (one green and one red) and added some bacon bones we’d picked up for free at Harris Farm (a one-off, I think, as we haven’t seen them since). I also added mushroom mortadella – a somewhat strange freebie that was included in my Black Forest Smokehouse order some months ago. At the time I didn’t know what to do with it, so it was stashed in the freezer. The stock was leftover from our last batch of Hainanese chicken rice, frozen for another day. The spices were in the fridge.
I couldn’t believe how delicious this was! Comforting and nourishing, without being gut churning like raw cabbage is for me. We accompanied the soup with slices of dried sourdough. Again from the food pantry, a day old artisan loaf donated by The Bread and Butter Project (look them up, they’re cool) was sliced and dried in a low oven for several hours until rock hard. Perfect croutons with soup!
This entire pot of takka dal was made from an Indian packet mix ($1.50 or 3 points) to which we added frozen garden rapini. With rice, it fed all three of us for dinner…
Finally, let me share with you this week’s $10 purchase. Australian grown wasabi macadamias, Italian made pesto, Teriyaki sauces (which Small Man loves), ice tea infusions and Persian fairy floss, all past their best before dates but perfectly fine, a loaf of day old sourdough, a mountain of vegetables, and three frozen meals prepared by Chef Neil Perry’s team (not shown in photo).
I love that we never know what’s going to be there, almost as much as I love knowing that every time we shop there, it helps to reduce food waste! 🌿♻️💚
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
There are so many choices but this is both frugal and fabulous. What is there for dinner? As opposed to what’s for dinner? Small changes making a big difference. Seeking out rescued food, using up what you already have. Rather than adding to or ignoring what’s to hand ‘cos you feel like something else. There’s a long way to go but these changes are working towards lessening the disparity between people living in poverty unable to afford decent or indeed enough of any food and the horrendous amount of food wasted by an affluent society.
Excellent work Celia. The Black Hood used to freak about things past their sell by date but he’s a bit more relaxed about it now. He claims I work on ‘kill by’ dates.
I’m very impressed with Addi road and wish there was something similar here. I’m all in favour of using whatever’s available – and there’s never a bad time for a bowl of soup 😊
Love this!! People think it is so hard to make things waste free, but it isn’t that difficult if you take the time to plan it out. :) Thanks for sharing!
Jenna ♥
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Can’t get past your taking HOME sourdough! But well done (incidentally my favourite bread and butter pudding is made with the panettones discounted after xmas and easter). But having found out how DELICIOUS sourdough croutons fried in coconut or olive oil can be, I am having a problem going back to plain….
The volume of food waste is always mind boggling and obscene. I grew up in a house where we didn’t leave a morsel (there was always a cold potato in the fridge!). I applaud your resourcefulness as always as well as being inspiration for others to follow. Looking up that cabbage soup recipe now. Lucky neighbours with that bread and butter pud :)
I was so interested while reading your post with how creative you have been with all of the different foods. It’s a great initiative, I wish we had access to this kind of thing. However even just not doing the majority of our shopping at supermarkets and supporting local farmers prevents some food waste. Well done.
This is fascinating Celia and as always you offer wise, practical advice around food. Is all the food at Addi Road rescued/donated? It sounds like such a worthwhile organisation to support.
Hi Jane! I believe nearly all of it is donated and/or rescued – I think there might be a couple of staples like milk and weetbix that they try to keep in stock at all times. We had an entire AddiRoad dinner tonight and it was divine! :)
Amazing, Celia. Well done xx
I wish we had a place like that here. I’d be all over it. Food is really quite expensive in Australia. I always look out for close to expiring food that is half price or less at the supermarket so that helps.
What amazing value! My mum doesn’t have a store like this near her but does something similar just with the heavily reduced stock that has reached its BB date in her local supermarket. What do you do about the fact that a lot of this is more heavily packaged? I find there often seems to be a compromise between reducing food waste and reducing single use plastic that I honestly don’t know how to judge…
As far as I know we don’t have anything like Addi Road in the UK. We have a food bank collection here once a month and I add in £10 worth of shopping to my online order to donate (I haven’t been to a supermarket in over a year). Fortunately I get my second Covid vac next Tuesday so will feel more comfortable going back, which will save us a fortune!
[…] on the Centre’s website, customer Celia has published a food blog titled A Month of Waste Free Meals, with recipes created from shopping at the Food […]