First off, I am no expert gardener. The first thing I planted this year was scallion ends. I stuck about five of them in a pot, watered them, and in about two weeks I had brand new scallions. So I cut off the green tops and started all over again.
As the owner and chef of two restaurants in Charleston, I have become more and more aware of not only rising food costs, but also waste and sustainability (or lack thereof) in the food system. I buy my produce from local farms, and I use local suppliers in my restaurants. But I’ve always had the vision of perusing my garden for ingredients for my daily meals. When beginning the process of starting a garden this spring, I was not thinking about using scraps from purchased produce, but just about growing vegetables for my household. Then, the garlic bulbs on my kitchen counter sprouted. So what did I do? I put them in the ground.
I decided to wing it for my garden infrastructure. With a trip to Lowe’s for wooden stakes, a staple gun, a bolt of weed fabric, a measuring tape and a helping hand, I created five beds by literally stapling fabric onto stakes. Beautiful? No. Did it get the job done? Absolutely.
This year with the help of my TikTok addiction, I was determined to have a beautiful, successful, abundant garden — even though my green thumb is more of a pale yellow at best. I was determined to start seeds from scratch instead of buying tiny plants from Lowe’s, but instead I started planting all of my garlic, scallions, potatoes, leeks — anything old that had started to grow while I spent a busy February neglecting my produce drawer in favor of other culinary endeavors.
With each daily meal, my tiny garden of scraps grows a bit more, particularly with the additions of tiny lettuce stalks, flowering bok choy, leek ends and what is becoming a very large row of baby potatoes that sprouted in my compost bin. Everyone always thinks I’m making five-star meals at home when describing what I ate for dinner, but the secret to bringing your dishes to the next level is to have that extra something in them. Your secret ingredient.
With my variety of potted herbs and tiny scallion stalks from my “scrappy garden,” it is becoming easier for me to take even simple ingredients like cream cheese to create combinations that always keep my breakfast new and exciting with minimal effort. I use home-made cream cheese at my restaurant, Harriet’s Delicatessen, but you can add any fresh fruits or vegetables for a seasonal treat because, at the end of the day, we should all make a goal to support our local farmers, even if that farmer is you.
Scallion and Black Pepper Cream Cheese
1 8 oz package of cream cheese, at room temperature
2 Tbs of scallions, cut into small pieces
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp salt
1. Beat cream cheese in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or with hand beaters until soft.
2. Add in scallions, pepper and salt. Beat on high until thoroughly incorporated, about 1 minute.
3. Smear onto your favorite toast or bagel and enjoy!
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