A tomato walks into a bar and asks the bartender: “How do you fix a broken tomato?” To which the bartender replies: “Tomato paste!”
As a former water-burner and newly crowned challah whisperer, I recently came up against a culinary dilemma that left me scratching my head. I was making a recipe for crockpot short ribs and it called for a tablespoon of tomato paste. After I finished cooking I thought to myself, what am I supposed to do with the rest of the can? Being a waste-not-want-not kind of gal, I put it in the fridge and went on a google search. I was overwhelmed by the plethora of recipes that call for leftover tomato paste.
Which got me thinking: What do you do with all the other leftover things in life? For example, my husband has two ex-wives. When people asked me nine years ago if I’d be taking my soon-to-be-husband’s last name when we got married, my answer was: “Hell, no! How many ex-Mrs. S’s does one world need?” Some leftovers you really do have to throw out.
It reminds me of one of my relatives who refuses to eat leftovers. And I mean ALL leftovers. Including things like prime rib roast and rack of lamb. Despite the fact that those relatives make a ton of money between them, there’s no excuse for wasting good food.
It’s interesting to note that synonyms for leftovers include: residual, surplus, uneaten, untouched and unwanted. People often end up repurposing and reusing food leftovers. Which is a good thing. But when it comes to stuff like foreign currency, scraps of wallpaper, or leftover wool, you really need to get creative. As a retiree on a pension, I’ve become more invested in using things wisely and not wasting stuff. Which has resulted in me becoming more inventive and experimental. Which is also usually a good thing. Except when I try to pawn off leftover tofu as mystery meat in lasagna. Harvey always knows.
All this is to say that we should be inspired to reduce our food waste and make good use of perfectly tasty leftovers. Let’s be clear: I’m not proposing we all subscribe to “Freeganism.” What I’m suggesting is that we be more mindful of what we consume and what we throw away. It’s not rocket science. It’s just common sense.
And regarding that whole tomato thing….“Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.”
Shelley Civkin, the retired “Face of Richmond,” was a Librarian & Communications Officer at Richmond Public Library for nearly 30 years, and author of a weekly book review column for 17 years.
