Root-to to-frond Cooking: Culinary Strategies to Reduce Food Waste Objectives Participants will be able to: 1. Name culinary techniques that can be utilized to reduce food waste Webinar for Food and Culinary Professionals Practice Group March 27, 2015 2. List the benefits of root-to-frond cooking 3. Describe ways to provide additional nutritional value through the use of food parts that may otherwise be thrown out Who We Are Objectives Who We Are Chef Olivia Roszkowski Chef Instructor Kayleen St.John, MS, RD Resident Dietitian Founded in 1977 by Annemarie Colbin, Ph.D., Natural Gourmet Institute (NGI) is the leader in health-supportive culinary education. Natural Gourmet Institute s Chef s Training Programis a comprehensive and professional program that trains students to meet the growing demand for culinary professionals who are able to make the connection between food and health. NGI s interactive and dynamic Certificate Programsare designed to give students first-hand experience and expertise in the areas of Writing for Food Media, Sustainable Meat, Culinary Tours, Culinary Nutrition, Sustainable Farming, and Food Entrepreneurship. Natural Gourmet Institute also offers public intensives, hands-on instruction, demonstrations and lectures for the healthy cooking enthusiast. On Friday night, the school is transformed into an intimate dining room, where Chef s Training Program students and instructors prepare a threecourse vegetarian Friday Night Dinner that is innovative, delicious and beautifully presented. www.naturalgourmetinstitute.com Rights Reserved 1
What is Food Waste? Food appropriate for human consumption that is discarded Can be due to: Food spoilage Oversupply Individual consumer shopping/eating habits Rights Reserved 2
Food Waste Statistics Food Waste Statistics Fruits and vegetables, have the highest wastage rates of any food Americans waste ~ 40% of all edible foods The average American throws away between $28-$43 in the form of about 20 lbs. of food each month Consumers in rich countries waste almost as much food (222 million tons) as the entire net food production of sub-saharan Africa (230 million tons) Food loss at the retail and consumer levels in the United States includes: 14.8 billion pounds of fruit, valued at $15.1 billion 23.4 billion pounds of vegetables, valued at $27.7 billion In developing countries 40 percent of losses occur at post-harvest and processing levels while in industrialized countries more than 40 percent of losses happen at retail and consumer levels Food Waste- Environmental Impact Benefits of Food Waste Reduction Chain reaction. Decomposition of uneaten food accounts for 23% of all methane emissions in the United States If food scraps were removed from landfills, the level of greenhouse gas reduction would be equivalent to removing one-fifth of all the cars in the UK from the road Resources associated with food production Methane gas from landfills Energy and labor associated with food disposal Reduced exhaustion of resources including water, land, energy, labor, capital Rights Reserved 3
Benefits of Food Waste Reduction Food Waste Reduction Re-use within the human food chain Reduce food waste in the first place Recycling and recovery Less Wasted Food Root-to-Frond Cooking Turning ingredients that we don t think of as edible into something that s coveted -Dan Barber What is Root-to-Frond Cooking? Practice of utilizing the WHOLE plant Includes utilizing: stalks tops fronds peels roots stems seeds any other edible (or semi-edible) part Rights Reserved 4
Root-to-Frond in the News Root-to-Frond in the News Chef Dan Barber s pop-up restaurant, WastED, will feature ingredients that we may not think of as edible Cauliflower stalk noodles Lobster leg meat Vegetable-pulp veggie burger Misshapen pasta Starve a Landfill; Efficiency in the Kitchen to Reduce Food Waste NY Times article (3/3/2015) highlighting leaving recipes behind and instead focusing on technique cooking to reduce food waste Nutritional Benefits Culinary Benefits Additional fiber Any produce scraps or pieces will increase fiber and antioxidant content of dishes Bulk up nutritional value Adding seeds or pulp to dishes in place of other lower nutrient binders Enhance flavor or appeal Incorporating herb stems or citrus peel to routine juice recipes Economics Utilize up to 2/3 more of the produce Available seasonally when the vegetable is in abundance Versatility Ability to swap in seasonal produce Flavor Twists on traditional favorites Elevates meal with color and texture Complement vegetable with similar flavor profile Rights Reserved 5
Spring Techniques for Leaves Spring Techniques for Stems Sauté As a quick side dish Shave For ribbons in a salad Blend For a pesto, gremolata, relish, or salsa verde Pickle For a tangy condiment Blanche To use as a filling for a gratin Braise Into a hearty stew Freeze After chopping for future use in a soup Freeze After chopping for future use in a soup Garnish Juice Petite greens, or fronds, make beautiful garnishes Try adding new greens to your next juice Steep Dehydrate Into an infused oil or syrup Then grind into a flavored salt Spring Techniques for Seeds Spring Techniques for Peels Roast Coat with oil and roast in a pan Roast Into a crispy snack or garnish Soak Then puree to use as a thickener Save For a stock or jelly Grind Into a powder and use as a crispy coating Candy Transform citrus into candied rinds Garnish A salad for added crunch Steep Into a flavorful vinegar Rights Reserved 6
Root-to-Frond in Action Seasonality Tips Try: Carrot Greens In place of: Herbs in a pesto Chard stems Rhubarb in a compote Broccoli stalks Shaved artichokes Beet stems Pickled cucumbers Spring Spring Add asparagus ends for a sauce or soup Use delicate pea shoots & fennel fronds on crostini or salad Cook down entire ramps and scallions into a Spring onion jam Most produce is young and does not need to be peeled Cream of Asparagus End Soup with Preserved Lemon Cashew Cream Asparagus ends Citrus rinds Caramelized Fennel Gratin, Crispy Leeks, Petit Frond Salad Fennel fronds, stalk, core Leek greens, stalk, roots Rights Reserved 7
Summer Summer Blanche any greens lying around and chop into a salsa or dip Pickle entire produce to preserve for less bountiful times Chop extra ingredients to create a chilled soup or gazpacho Create an infused water, drink or cocktail for a social gathering Sesame Broccoli Floret & Stem Slaw Broccoli stalks and florets Radish bulbs and leaves Watermelon Juice Tonic, Pickled Rind, & Cucumber Salt Rim Watermelon flesh and rind Cucumber seeds and peel Fall Fall Roast squash seeds with spices of your choosing Serve entire produce as a bowl or vessel on the plate Create decadent fillings for pies, tarts, and galettes Dehydrate colorful harvest salts for holiday tables or gifts Roasted Rainbow Carrots and Carrot Top Chimichurri Carrot roots, leaves, stems Cauliflower Steak Piccata with Citrus Peel Relish Cauliflower stalks and florets Citrus peel Rights Reserved 8
Winter Winter Roast root vegetables in their skins to promote steaming Smash Winter green stems with blunt edge to tenderize Salt brine produce like lemons or hearty roots Keep cores in fennel and cabbage and braise until soft Chard Falafel Wraps with Creamy Stalk-Tahini Dip Chard leaves and stems Farrowith Balsamic Beets, Massaged Greens, and Pickled Stems Beet bulb, leaves, and stems Thank You! Questions? Rights Reserved 9