carrot top pesto
march 2018
ONE OF THE PRIMARY REASONS for
consumer waste is a disconnect between people and where
their food comes from, says Durham journalist Jonathan
Bloom, the founder of Wastedfood.com and author of
“American Wasteland.” In his book, he explores the various
reasons food is wasted from farm to fork. Food that doesn’t
meet our expectations of how it’s supposed to look is over-looked
or passed over and ends up in a landfill.
The fresh produce from supermarkets (rather than farm-ers
markets) has already been tidied and trimmed to make it
look pretty and easier to handle. As supermarkets display per-fect
produce, we forget what untouched vegetables look like
and what to do with the whole thing. If we’re presented with
a sprouty green carrot top, we throw it away.
End Food Waste, a nonprofit started by food activist
Jordan Figueiredo, launched a campaign called the Ugly Fruit
and Veg Campaign to highlight that 20-40 percent of all
produce that goes to waste is because of strict grocery store
cosmetic standards. He successfully petitioned Whole Foods
Market and Walmart to start selling less-than-perfect produce
at a discounted price and adopt the philosophy that there is
nothing wrong with “imperfect” produce.
Restaurants are the second-biggest food waste culprits
with the average restaurant producing 150,000 pounds of
garbage each year.
France, Italy and
Spain recently
recognized the
issue, requiring
all edible food
from restaurants
and supermarkets
to be donated to
charities rather
than sent to the
landfill. Many
INGREDIENTS
1 large bunch leafy carrot tops
1 small clove garlic
½ cup nuts (walnuts, almonds, etc.)
½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup olive oil
Pinch of salt
PREPARATION
In a food processor, add the greens,
garlic, nuts, cheese and lemon juice
then pulse. Add the olive oil and
blend together. Taste and season
with salt and more lemon juice if
needed. Serve with crudité, dollop
onto pasta or spread onto crostini.
92
WBM
savor
local restaurants and grocery stores contribute food that’s just
slightly past the sell-by date to food banks on a voluntary
basis.
Adventurous chefs are turning what used to be scraps into
delicious plates of food and are starting to elicit change. The
movement goes by various names — root-to-stem, root-to-fruit,
farm-to-fork. Whatever it’s called, it’s raising awareness
and encouraging the use of entire fruits and vegetables.
In the process, chefs are creating new flavors and textures
while dramatically reducing waste. From sautéing leafy green
carrot and beet tops in olive oil, to dehydrating mushroom
stems to turn into powders, or simmering wilted celery back
to life with white wine reductions and aromatics, committed
cooks are forging a new path.
Dan Barber, chef and co-owner of Blue Hill restaurant
in Manhattan and author of “The Third Plate,” launched a
series of pop-up restaurants called wastED in New York and
London to highlight the plight of food waste. He introduced
diners to an off-the-wall but clever menu, essentially com-piled
of scraps and rejects, alongside celebrity chefs like Alain
Ducasse, Gordon Ramsay and Yotam Ottolenghi. Appearing
on his menu were burger patties made of fruit pulp, a “gar-bage
salad” of stems and leaves, and coffee made from an
infusion of husks.
Chefs are part of a wave of activists leading the charge
and inspiring consumers to think about waste and cook
more sustainably. Anthony Bourdain’s documentary
“Wasted! The Story of Food Waste” features high-profile
chefs like Danny Bowien, Massimo Bottura and Mario
Batali highlighting the urgency of food waste and demon-strating
potential ways to help solve the problem and con-tinue
the conversation.
Their collective message is to shop smarter. Plan meals
ahead of time. Always shop with a list. Buy local, seasonal
food. Cook at home. Choose ugly produce. Use scraps. Use
the freezer. Compost leftovers.