--- description: Turns out the stuff that is normally thought of as useful only for the compost heap—broccoli stalks, watermelon rinds, potato peelings, leaves around peaches and... title: The Art of Cooking with Ingredients Most People Throw Out image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb4bfa7d4123dffba/698a8ccd47ca3862f93c2ef5/56400409-e13117859332871.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Business](/section/business/) # The Art of Cooking with Ingredients Most People Throw Out by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) Jul 27, 2011 5:22 PM CUT  Medioimages / Getty Images by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) Jul 27, 2011 5:22 PM CUT Turns out the stuff that is normally thought of as useful only for the compost heap—broccoli stalks, watermelon rinds, potato peelings, leaves around peaches and tomatoes—is not only edible, but some chefs consider them among their favorite ingredients. more It is estimated that roughly [25% of the food brought into American homes is never eaten](http://moneyland.time.com/2009/06/16/are-you-going-to-eat-that-probably-not/ "undefined"). The estimate would surely be higher if every edible part of a vegetable was included in the equation. A number of [agriculture-minded chefs profiled in the _New York Times_](http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/27/dining/thats-not-trash-thats-dinner.html?%5Fr=1&ref=style&src=me&pagewanted=all "undefined") who use every part of a vegetable possible like to point out that many veggie parts sliced off and dumped in the trash are every bit as edible as those cooked in pots or tossed into salads. As one organic farmer puts it in the story: --- > “” --- To which, many Americans might furrow their brows and respond: “Um, what the heck is a floret?” (For that matter, some might wonder, “What’s broccoli?”) (**MORE:** [Are Cooking Schools a Rip-Off?](http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2085467,00.html "undefined")) Seriously, though, the rise in consumers hitting farmers markets, gathering produce as members of [community supported agriculture (CSA) programs](http://www.localharvest.org/csa/ "undefined") and harvesting veggies in their own backyards has led many to wind up swimming in peelings and other organic debris that aren’t normally considered edible. Before pitching them into the compost pile (or, if you must, the trash can), check out the creative recommendations of these waste-not chefs. (Note that many [weeds are considered edible delicacies](http://moneyland.time.com/2010/07/29/the-guy-who-leads-hikes-foraging-for-edible-weeds-its-all-salad-to-him/ "undefined") as well.) Some recipes sound more appetizing than others. Using potato peelings to make funky homemade potato chips sounds pretty darn delicious: --- > “” --- But subbing crunchy melon rinds in place of cucumbers in a salad or soup? That’d be a hard one to sell in my house. (**MORE:** [The Joy and Wisdom of Eating Food Past the Expiration Date](http://moneyland.time.com/2011/04/13/the-joy-and-wisdom-of-eating-food-past-the-expiration-date/ "undefined") ) _Brad Tuttle is a reporter at_ TIME. _Find him on Twitter at_ [_@bradrtuttle_](http://twitter.com/#!/bradrtuttle "undefined")_. You can also continue the discussion on_ TIME_’s_ [_Facebook page_](http://www.facebook.com/time "undefined") _and on Twitter at_ [_@TIME_](http://twitter.com/#!/TIME "undefined")_._ The Art of Cooking with Ingredients Most People Throw Out ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/archive/7108651/the-art-of-cooking-with-ingredients-most-people-throw-out/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/archive/7108651/the-art-of-cooking-with-ingredients-most-people-throw-out/"},"headline":"The Art of Cooking with Ingredients Most People Throw Out","datePublished":"2011-07-27T17:22:30.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-16T03:09:45.873Z","description":"Turns out the stuff that is normally thought of as useful only for the compost heap—broccoli stalks, watermelon rinds, potato peelings, leaves around peaches and...","url":"https://time.com/archive/7108651/the-art-of-cooking-with-ingredients-most-people-throw-out/","keywords":["Vegetables","Cooking","recycling","gardening"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb4bfa7d4123dffba/698a8ccd47ca3862f93c2ef5/56400409-e13117859332871.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb4bfa7d4123dffba/698a8ccd47ca3862f93c2ef5/56400409-e13117859332871.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Fresh vegetables","caption":"","creditText":"Medioimages / Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/archive/7108651/the-art-of-cooking-with-ingredients-most-people-throw-out/","name":"The Art of Cooking with Ingredients Most People Throw Out"}}]}] ```