Thinking about throwing out that Christmas tree? Think again. Instead of just letting it go to waste, eat it. If you’re not sure how, no worries, because UK-based artisan baker and cook Julia Georgallis has got you covered — because she dedicated an entire cookbook to it.
The book, sensibly titled How To Eat Your Christmas Tree, is full of recipes that help readers repurpose their once decorative evergreen.
Some recipes included in the book, and shared in Smithsonian Magazine, include Christmas-cured fish, Christmas tree pickles, and Christmas Tree & Ginger Ice Cream.
For those wondering what inspired the idea to incorporate the festive decor into a meal, the answer is simple — sustainability.
“I started this project with a good friend of mine in 2015 who does a lot of work around sustainability,” Georgallis told the publication. “We started a supper club to cook up the recipes with Christmas trees. Each year the recipes changed and I wanted to collate them. I enjoyed cooking them and I thought it would be better to share them outside my kitchen and spread the word a bit beyond the 25 people I host.”
And for those who think the idea of eating a Christmas tree is weird, she adds, “I don’t know why it’s so weird because we eat and we forage so many different plants.”