Nose to tail cooking isn't a competition to see who can eat the most beating animal hearts and testicles suspended in jelly—it's a holistic way of approaching ingredients that means zero, (or at least less) waste. In the same way that you'd be left with say, the ears of an animal after harvesting all the meaty parts, when it comes to vegetables there are stems, skins, seeds, and other usable leftovers. In this nose to tail column, I'll be using up as many bits and pieces of fruits and vegetables as I can, and sharing simple recipes. Please feel free to leave your own crafty suggestions in the comment section.

If you tear off the lovely bitter greens and toss the dirty stems in the compost or garbage, don't worry. The chard family enters its second growing season this summer which means you get a second chance to save the stems. There are lots of reasons to do so, but here's an especially summery one: chard stem and ricotta dumplings.

You can use the dumpling recipe below as a ravioli filling just the way it is (no eggs) but if you beat 2 whole eggs into the final product, you can poach spoonfuls in simmering salted water like gnocchi. If you buy raw wonton skins you can fill those with the dumpling mixture and fry them for a cocktail snack. You can also have it just the way it is spread on some grilled bread with a simple wilted chard leaf salad on the side and a poached egg on top.

INGREDIENTS