Gleaning my fridge contents

I learned a new word last night - Gleaning.

Gleaning can be defined as the practise of picking up that which is consciously left behind. In the past gleaners were peasants who gather spare grain or fruit when farmers had followed (biblical) advice not to harvest all their crop, but to leave some for those who needed it most.

Is 'gleaning' a useful term to describe the process of selection, re-contexualisation and re-distribution that we see in weblogs?http://www.test.org.uk/archives/000979.html
Could I also relate this term to my habit of concocting interesting meals from the contents left over in my fridge? Some of my most creative recipes have been developed by my habit of gleaning the remnants which have been left behind in tupperware containers. I have a knack for re-inventing and re-assembling left overs into an entirely new meal. This habit started when I was a teenager. I would come home after school, open the fridge and sigh " There is nothing to eat!" and my mother aptly responded, "There are plenty of leftovers". My stomach and imagination took over and I began devising interesting ways to combine various condiments and leftovers. At parties my friends would urge me to come up with a 3 course meal made entirely from leftovers. We gorged on some interesting tidbids; some more successful than others. And their poor parents complained about repeatedly coming home to find a barren fridge after Hope's visits.

I would love to collect leftovers from restaurants and kitchens around the island and concoct some delicious and nutritious meals for those who are in need.

Comments

[Dennis Maslo]

Hope,

That's a fantastic idea, it could turn into something like Toronto's own Second Harvest. I wonder if, as in France, potatoes harvested on the island are discriminated against according to size and shape requirements? And if they do not meet the requirements of stereotypical potatoe beauty, are they dumped, as in France? Maybe the local producers could be cajoled into using such ample, and unwanted, resources to fight hunger. And after potatoes, then we could go after the carrot people!!! Before ya know it, we'll have the contents of a salad.

Dennis