Column: A feast for the week - from 'magic box' ingredients

There is a saying: ‘When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!’ This week it wasn’t life that gave me lemons but The Real Junk Food Project.
Lemons are so versatile, as Karen Wright demonstratesLemons are so versatile, as Karen Wright demonstrates
Lemons are so versatile, as Karen Wright demonstrates

I came across the project by accident and decided to get involved. It is a charitable enterprise that saves massive amounts of good food from going to landfill, writes Karen Wright.

You may have seen a unit at the Kirkgate end of the Ridings Centre called the Sharehouse. This is the Wakefield arm of the project. Anyone can go in and be made very welcome.

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The food in there on any given day depends on what there is a surplus of, but there are lots of different things to choose from.

There is no set price on items, you pay what you feel is right.

You will see green crates of food. These are ‘Magic Boxes’ for sale by pre-order on an online app.

There are ten pound and five-pound boxes. Each has far more produce than the cost involved, and it’s a bit of a mystery what you get, then what you can make with it.

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This is where I fit in. I went to collect my box and pledged to see what I could make, then write up the recipes for the project.

I have had a great weekend using perishable stuff first, and so far have made a parsnip soup with leftover croutons, a Chinese-style lemon cauliflower dish, and a green goddess pasta using broccoli and basil.

Then I made a smoky BBQ meatloaf using mince, breadcrumbs and BBQ sauce, all from the box.

The weirdest thing I made was a sauerkraut side salad using a head of fermented cabbage, oranges and apples. Zingy for sure!

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I made vegan brownies using courgettes and vegan butter, all from my box.

The lemons were used in all recipes bar the brownies but I also made a jar of preserved lemons and a jar of lemon and garlic oil.

I honestly think I could have made a weeks’ worth of main meals for a family of four using magic box ingredients and some store cupboard staples.

I urge you to find out more about it, plus they always need volunteers!

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