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#NoFoodWaste Features

Food Waste: A Pervasive Problem with Abounding Solutions

June 17, 2016
Photo by Summer Rayne Oakes

Photo by Summer Rayne Oakes

This post was written by Emily Summerlin, an Ambassador for Foodstand, a community aiming to build a more informed community around good food and to bring good eating choices to all. Here she covers the food waste epidemic, including background on and implications of the issue, the release of the ReFED Roadmap to Reduce US Food Waste report, and Foodstand’s #NoFoodWaste campaign.

 

The United States “spends $218 billion a year, or 1.3% of GDP, growing, processing, and transporting food that is never eaten.” Put simply by Sam Kass, NBC’s Senior Food Analyst, “that is insane.”

In addition to the huge economic costs this problem incurs for the United States, this is tragic not only in the sense that one in seven Americans is food insecure, but also in that this wasted food emits a harmful stream of greenhouse gases as it decomposes in the landfill, further contributing to global climate change. It is incomprehensible that this issue, so monstrous and detrimental to our economy and human and environmental health, has only recently emerged into the mainstream spotlight and found its way into the consciousness of American eaters, largely thanks to a segment on John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight last summer.

Fortunately, this momentum has kept the food waste epidemic in the spotlight, with a number of new organizations and campaigns focusing on redistribution of would-be wasted food popping up all over the world. The World Resources Institute and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization recently completed a study highlighting the countries leading the fight against food waste; the Love Food Hate Waste campaign in the UK serves to raise awareness about the need to reduce food waste and to help consumers take action; and Imperfect Produce in the San Francisco Bay Area delivers ‘ugly produce’, fruits and vegetables that don’t fit grocery stores’ cosmetic standards, to consumers. These are just a few examples of actors on all scopes and levels presently making a difference in the sweeping worldwide movement to end food waste.

Additionally, one of the more notable publications in the space is the recent release of ReFED’s Roadmap to Reduce US Food Waste, a comprehensive report laying out the plan to reduce the United State’s food waste by 20% through a number of feasible, cost-effective, and scalable solutions. The report boasts a new approach to looking at the food waste issue as the first comprehensive report to examine the food waste problem and lay out solutions using economics and data analysis.

The basics of the strategy and actions the report lays out are organized under the four pillars of education, policy, innovation, and financing. Without getting too into the weeds, the bottom line finding after the extensive research and modeling that went into the creation of the report is that “an $18 billion investment in 27 solutions to reduce US food waste by 20% will yield $100 billion in net societal economic value over a decade,” a figure that includes tons of food recovered, gallons of water saved, business profit, consumer savings, tons of greenhouse gas emissions reduced, and jobs created.

One key image in the report is a curve laying out 27 solutions ranked by their potential impact vs. cost in three categories: prevention, recovery, and recycling. The solutions that came out on top for greatest economic value per ton were standardized date labeling, consumer education campaigns, and packaging adjustments; while the solutions with most diversion potential were centralized composting, centralized anaerobic digestion, and water resources recovery facilities with anaerobic digestion. While the solutions with the most diversion potential do require a large amount of planning and capital investment, the diversion that will come from consumer education campaigns is substantial.

This means that as individuals, we can take action right now and make a huge difference. At present, 43% of food waste occurs in homes, which equals 27 million tons of food wasted each year. Hopefully as a result of the report’s findings, date labeling laws and consumer education campaigns will begin rolling out soon, but right now it is in the consumers’ hands to educate ourselves and do everything we can to reduce food waste in our own lives.

The first step in doing this is to change our attitudes about food waste, and think instead in terms of wasted food. The word “waste” implies something old, useless, and without value, but the 63 million tons of food being wasted in the U.S. are perfectly edible, nourishing, and delicious. There are numerous resources that provide tips on smarter grocery shopping and how to cook with parts of fruits and vegetables you normally wouldn’t utilize. One such resource is Foodstand’s #NoFoodWaste campaign that the community is centering around for the month of June. The campaign encourages Foodstand users to post their best tips, recipes, and news regarding food waste reduction throughout the month, and serves as a great source of inspiration for taking action to be a waste-free consumer and finding creativity in the kitchen.

 

Instructions for making agua fresca with fruit just past its prime from food writer @JenniferEmilson

 

A ‘Behind the Plate’ interview with Keith Carr, City Harvest’s Healthy Neighborhoods Manager by Foodstand team member @annefood

 

A recipe for roasted broccoli stem and fennel soup from food writer @munchiemummy

 

A tip on regrowing veggies from their scraps with just sunshine and water from @SallyRogers of Nibble market

In addition to making changes to your own shopping and cooking habits, look for organizations in your area that focus on fighting food waste through food recovery, either through saving “ugly” produce from rotting in the field or by facilitating donations to food banks. Acting on these individual solutions will enable us to in turn scale up the solutions as a society and touch on the three pillars of the solution that ReFED lays out beyond education: policy, innovation, and financing. Food waste is a truly pervasive issue that not only affects our environment and communities on multiple levels, but on the positive side presents numerous areas for improvement and avenues for taking action.

#NoFoodWaste

10 FOODSTANDER-APPROVED WAYS TO WASTE LESS FOOD!

December 6, 2015

You Foodstanders rocked #NoFoodWaste November out of the park! At the beginning of the month we shared our #NoFoodWaste November Tips in Foodstand’s Top 5 Ways to Cut Food Waste to get you started. And now we’ve collected your top tips to finish out the month! While #NoFoodWaste November has come to a close, this is only the beginning of our good-food-deed path. Thanks for inspiring one another and showing your good-deed eats!

But wait—we can’t forget the prizes! Congratulations to our #NoFoodWaste drawing winners! Rosa (@Rosavbs), Flo (@serveMEnow), Kendall (@kendallann) and Christina (@MrsXtina) each took home our local Dig Inn prize! And Kitty (@Kitty), Emily (@etsummer), Justin (@skylightfarm) and Lesley (@LesleyRozycki) each took home our national Farm To People prize!

Big thanks to Dig Inn Seasonal Market (@diginn), Farm To People (@FarmToPeople), and Sustainable America (@SustainableAmerica) for their support!

 

And now, without further ado…

TOP TEN #NOFOODWASTE TIPS FROM FOODSTANDERS!

 

 

 

lauren Prepared these cute little Spinach stems as I would bok choi—steamed then sautéed with soy sauce and sesame oil—and they turned out delicious! #NoFoodWaste


 

bewellwitharielle Used leftover beans when making soup for his pizza! DELISH pizza topping and a dose of protein. Win win. #NoFoodWaste


 

skylightfarm Don’t forget to eat your beet greens! They’re delicious. We see too many people just break these off their beers and toss them. #NoFoodWaste


 

JenniferEmilson Brekkie today: Creamsicle Smoothie. And don’t waste the orange peels: at the bottom of the trash can (under the bag) they are deodorizer; dried peels work great in brown sugar to keep it from drying out, and in water in a spray bottle- insect repellent! I also see banana bread 😁😊 #NoFoodWaste


 

gingerandchorizo The diced broccoli stems I used for this fried brown rice (with Korean chili paste and topped with chopped dried shrimp) was the left over from the broccoli pesto I made last night, hate to see it go into the bin! #NoFoodWaste


 

diginn #NoFoodWaste November! Our Brussels Sprouts are cooked in an orange confit we created from the peels of the oranges we use for our juices, and a touch of coconut oil. This saves 525 lbs of orange peels from going into the compost each week. Recipe in our taste book!


 

Cravingsinamsterdam Roasted carrot risotto with gremolata & pomegranate. Made the gremolata with the carrot tops, lemon zest, garlic, a bit of parsley & basil. #NoFoodWaste


 

 

Kenanhill Salted pumpkin seed brittle 🎃 #NoFoodWaste


 

leandrasnotlost No food waste this November! These beautiful loaves were rescued from a dumpster and turned into PB&J sammies for DC’s homeless population! #NoFoodWaste


 

 

simplywithout Market day! What’s in your bag?! Remember to drop off any food scraps you don’t use at your local farmers’ market to compost! #NoFoodWaste

#NoFoodWaste

TOP 5 THANKSGIVING #NOFOODWASTE POSTS

November 27, 2015

 

@simplywithout

Teaching homemade cranberry sauce today! Perfect no waste recipe, throw in the whole berry! #NoFoodWaste

Ingredients: Cranberries

 

 

 


 

@diginn

This sandwich may be going away tomorrow, but you can replicate it with all the Thanksgiving leftovers in honor of #NoFoodWaste November.

Ingredients: Turkey, Brussels sprouts, cranberry sauce, orange zest
Location: Dig Inn Seasonal Market

 


 

@JenniferEmilson

Autumn harvest in an acorn! #NoFoodWaste

Ingredients: Winter acorn squash, turkey leg, wild rice, brown rice, aged cheddar, garlic cloves, red cabbage, kale, Gala apple, onion, pomegranate

 


 

@JenniferEmilson 

A frambled egg (yes, that’s a real thing) over avo and leftover squash stuffing for brekkie. Nothing wasted! #NoFoodWaste

Ingredients: Egg, turkey leg, wild rice, red cabbage, Gala apple, avocado, kale, onion, curry powder

 


@LesleyRozycki

Happy Thanksgiving! Here’s an Autumn inspired breakfast parfait to help combat that post Turkey Day / Black Friday fatigue #NoFoodWaste

Ingredients: Pumpkin puree, Honeycrisp apples, rolled oats, coconut milk, vanilla almond milk, vanilla extract, salt, allspice, cardamom, chia seeds, cinnamon, ground cloves, ground ginger, coconut oil

 

#NoFoodWaste

NOT SO SLOPPY SECONDS

November 23, 2015

Photo @JenniferEmilson

REHEAT. REUSE. REPURPOSE.

A Thanksgiving plan is in place—you’ve organized your menu, and know who’s bringing the sweet potatoes. But what are you going to do with all those leftovers?! Even after you have your fill of cranberry sauce and Brussels sprouts on Thursday, there is likely going to be food that goes uneaten.

Which leads us to the final episode of #NoFoodWaste Novemberlove your leftovers, and the freezer is your friend. The final two of Foodstand’s Top 5 Tips to cut food waste are perhaps the easiest. If you aren’t going to put it in your mouth, package it up to save for another time—either in your fridge to eat later or repurpose, or in your freezer for longer term storage. Armed with good storage containers (glass is best) and plenty of room in your fridge and freezer after celebrating National Clean Out Your Fridge Day, you are ready to become a leftover food storage pro.

Leftovers are always delicious as is—simply reheat in pans on the stove, or arrange your dinner in baking dishes to warm in the oven while you enjoy some quality family time. But if you feel like something a little different, you can repurpose your side dishes in a variety of ways!

  • Turn leftovers into a delicious pasta with a box of penne from the pantry. Quickly sauté Brussels sprouts and cubed butternut squash in olive oil on the stove with a splash of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes. Toss your vegetables with cooked penne, and finish your dish with a good dusting of Pecorino cheese.
  • Taco night! Warm tortillas and fill them with your sautéed sprouts and squash, along with hot black beans. Garnish with parsley or cilantro, and crumbled chèvre.
  • Try a fish dish. Thin the cranberry sauce with a splash of orange juice in the blender. Then add your squash cubes to the food processor with a splash of milk to make a quick purée. Serve the purée under a piece of pan-seared barramundi from our friends at Australis Aquaculture and finish with a cranberry drizzle over the top.
  • Or make a seasonal salad. Add your cranberry sauce to the blender with some olive oil and champagne vinegar for a quick dressing. Throw some greens, room temperature butternut squash and brussels sprouts, and toasted pecans into a bowl, and toss with your cranberry dressing for the perfect sweet and savory meal.

Once you’ve had your fill of Thanksgiving dinner and all its variations, use your freezer! Thanksgiving dinner is a meal that freezes really well. Pre-slice turkey, and portion out your sides—they’ll thaw more easily, and dinner will be ready in no time. And whatever way you choose to enjoy Thanksgiving leftovers, don’t forget to share them with your Foodstand family on the iPhone app and apply #NoFoodWaste for a chance to win prizes!

EAT & DRINK


PERUVIAN CHICKEN & CORIANDER SOUP by Cravingsinamsterdam

INGREDIENTS

2 bunches of coriander (without the hard stems)
200gr chicken (or turkey) breast, diced
10 cups of chicken (or turkey) stock
½ cup canned corn, or fresh
½ cup green peas, can be frozen or fresh
½ sweet pepper or bell pepper
1 red onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of sriracha or Peruvian Aji Amarillo paste (yellow chili paste)
1/3 cup of rice
Salt
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
Lime wedges for serving

METHOD

Blend the coriander with the stock and set aside.

In a large pot, add the vegetable oil over medium heat.  Add the onions, garlic, sriracha or Aji Amarillo, and sweet pepper.  Cook for about 2 minutes. Then add the diced chicken (or turkey) and rice. Stir for another minute and add the coriander stock. Cook for about 20 minutes. Then add the corn and peas.  Let it cook until the corn and peas are done. Taste for salt. Serve with lime wedges.

 


WINTER VEGETABLE SALAD by annefood

INGREDIENTS

For the salad:
4 handfuls mixed salad greens (butter lettuce, spring mix etc.)
2 big handfuls chopped radicchio
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
1.5-2 cups mixed leftover vegetables (Brussels sprouts, squash, broccoli, green beans, etc)
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup cooked lentils
1 avocado, cubed
For the dressing:
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for roasting
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
a squeeze of honey (optional)
a couple pinches of garlic granules
a couple pinches of onion powder
a few grinds each of black pepper and sea salt to taste

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toss your chopped onion with olive oil, salt and pepper, and spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast until soft and starting to char slightly. Set aside.

Meanwhile, whisk together your dressing ingredients. Combine the lettuces, herbs, vegetables, onion, lentils, and avocado in a large bowl. Pour the dressing on top and toss to combine.

Serves 2-3

#NoFoodWaste

TOP 5 #NOFOODWASTE POSTS OF THE WEEK

November 20, 2015

 

@Kenanhill

The cutest little baby broccoli heads just harvested at @skylightfarm! Don’t throw away your broccoli stems—just peel, dice and cook! #NoWasteNovember #NoFoodWaste

Ingredients: Broccoli

 


 

@leandrasnotlost

No food waste this November! These beautiful loaves were rescued from a dumpster and turned into PB&J sammies for DC’s homeless population! #NoFoodWaste

 


 

@JenniferEmilson

If you have just a scraping of jam at the bottom of the jar, DON’T throw it out. Loosen it up, add your olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice and seasonings to it and shake. Voila, instant tasty salad dressing. #NoFoodWaste

Ingredients: Cabbage, red cabbage, romaine lettuce, radish, raspberry jam, poppy seeds, kosher salt, fresh cracked black pepper, red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil


 

@skylightfarm

Just like you can eat the roots on your leeks—you can also eat the roots on your scallions/green onions! They’re great crisped up in a pan real quick. #NoFoodWaste

Ingredients: Scallions

 


 

@LesleyRozycki 

The perfect Tuesday pick-me-up: Spicy roasted Brussels, Italian sausage, sage brown butter and penne… Nothing going to waste here! #NoFoodWaste

Ingredients: Brussels sprouts, Italian sweet sausage, penne, fresh sage, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, grapeseed oil, butter with salt, sriracha, garlic powder, salt, pepper

 

#NoFoodWaste

NO FOOD LEFT BEHIND!

November 16, 2015

Photo @sugardetoxme

THANKSGIVING WITH THE FOODSTAND FAMILY

Yes, it’s true. Thanksgiving is officially next week. And while the holiday evokes something different for each of us, sitting around the table as family and friends and eating good food is always an eagerly awaited and enjoyable occasion.

If you have a hankering to put something new on your table this year, there are many amazing Thanksgiving recipes out there, such as Food52’s featured Celeriac-Potato Mash with Beer-Molasses Reduction and their Autumn Apple and Pumpkin Galette. Or perhaps you love to stick with the traditional tried and true. Either way, we can’t wait to see your creations on the Foodstand app next week!

What are we cooking up at Foodstand? #NoFoodWaste! In case you missed it, Foodstand is pledging a #NoFoodWaste November, and Thanksgiving is the best occasion to celebrate wasting less. The holiday often contradicts our good-deed pledge, but there are countless ways to counteract the potential for discarded food.

Take Food52’s mash and galette, for example. So many recipes call for peeling potatoes and apples and tossing out the scraps, but these #NoFoodWaste recipes have you leave the skins on. More flavor and texture, and fewer trips to the garbage can! And what about those “ugly” fruits and veggies that are often passed over because they have an extra appendage or are abnormally squat? Use the funny looking produce! Not only will they taste just as good as the classically “pretty” specimens in your side dishes and desserts, but they’ll also add some levity to a potentially stressful holiday! Looking for more #NoFoodWaste ideas? Check out our #NoFoodWaste November Tips.

So when you need an excuse to escape the holiday madness, join Foodstand in pledging a #NoFoodWaste November by sharing your good deeds on the Foodstand app, and apply #NoFoodWaste for a chance to win prizes! And don’t forget to check out the latest delicious dishes from your Foodstand family.

EAT & DRINK


ROASTED CARROT SOUP WITH CARROT TOP PESTO
by Cravingsinamsterdam

INGREDIENTS

For the soup:
2 bunches of carrots (with the tops!)
4 medium white onions
2 garlic cloves
Olive oil
8 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
200ml of cream
½ cup of grated Parmesan
Salt to taste
For the pesto:
2 bunches of carrot tops
3/4 cup of fresh basil
120gr of toasted pine nuts
3/4 cup of grated parmesan
Zest of 2 lemons
About 1 cup of olive oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

METHOD

Remove the carrot tops, reserve them for the pesto. Peel the carrots (or not!).

Wrap the garlic cloves with the skin on with aluminum foil, pouring a bit of olive oil inside. Place the wrapped garlic, onions with the skin on, and (peeled) carrots on an oven tray lined with aluminum foil.  Drizzle a bit of olive oil on top of the vegetables. Roast at 180C/350F for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Once the vegetables are roasted, peel the onions and the garlic cloves. Chop the carrots. Place them in a large pot. Add the stock and blend it. I like to pass the soup through a sieve to make it smoother, but you don’t have to.  Pour the soup back in the pot. Then add the cream, parmesan and mix it until it is all combined. Then add salt to taste. Warm up the soup on medium heat.

To make the pesto, just place all of the ingredients in the food processor and pulse until it is all combined. Serve the soup with about one tablespoon of the carrot top pesto. If you want, drizzle a bit of cream on top for decoration.

 


APPLE ROSES by debspots

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe or package puff pastry
3 apples, cored and sliced thinly
juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup apricot jam
½ cup turbinado sugar (you may use any sugar, I like a sparkly one)
cooking spray
cinnamon (optional)

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 375°. Use full size muffin tins for roses, mini muffin tins for buds. Prepare the pans by spraying them with baking spray.

Heat the jam slightly and then strain. Mix with a little water to make a paintable, but thick syrup. Mix the lemon juice into ½ cup water.

Working with one apple at a time, place the slices in a shallow bowl and moisten with the lemon water. Microwave on high for 45 seconds to a minute, or until the apple slices just begin to soften. Place them in a single layer on a dish towel to dry and cool.

Working with 1/3 of the pastry at a time, roll out the dough until it is stretchy and thin, about as thin as you would want for a pie. I’d say 1/8 of an inch. Using a pizza cutter, cut strips about 2 inches wide and 6 inches long for roses. Go with 2 inches wide and 4 inches long for buds.

To construct a rose or bud, place a row of overlapping apple slices along the top half of the dough strip, with the peeled tops lying above the upper edge of the pastry. Paint the slices with the apricot syrup and/or sprinkle them with sugar. Fold the bottom half of the pastry up over the bottom of the apple slices. Now, roll up the strip and place the rose or bud in a muffin cup.

Once you have made as many as you can with that batch of apples and dough, place the unbaked pastries in the freezer. Repeat this process twice more with the remaining apples and dough. When you’re finished, make sure the last batch gets to stay in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.

Before they go into the oven, sprinkle the roses and/or buds with some extra sugar. Bake 35 minutes for buds and 45 minutes for roses. They are done when the pastry is GBD (golden brown and delicious). If you open the oven to peek every few minutes, they will take longer to bake.

Let them cool for 5 minutes, and then remove them to a cooling rack. If they stick, use a paring knife carefully to loosen them from the muffin cups. Serve. If you have any leftover, they will keep well at room temperature overnight.

#NoFoodWaste Behind the Plate

BEHIND THE PLATE: MATTHEW PRESTON

November 13, 2015

Meet Matt Preston, the Purchasing Manager for Dig Inn Seasonal Market (@diginn). With a background in farming and marketing, he’s just the man for the job—establishing real, meaningful relationships with all of Dig Inn’s producers. One of the many things we love about Matt is his passion for #NoFoodWaste, which plays a large role in Dig Inn’s purchasing and cooking practices.

And on Friday, November 20th, you can meet Matt in person at Foodstand and Dig Inn’s #NoFoodWaste November Happy Hour, at Dig Inn’s 23rd Street location! Mingle with fellow Foodstanders and listen to presentations by Matt and others about limiting food waste. Dig Inn will be offering two-for-one drinks as well as samplers of their new menu. RSVP early, as space is limited. Foodstanders receive a discount on ticket prices, so if you haven’t already, download the app! In the meantime, here’s more from Matt.

For those just getting to know you, how would you describe your business?
Dig Inn serves vegetable forward, American food, and aims to democratize the farm-to-table movement by working directly with farmers and partners we know and trust.

When did you first become personally aware that food waste is a big deal?
I read about the confluence of two main issues—the world’s rapid population growth (projected to be 9.7 billion in 2050) and reports that America is losing 40% of its food to waste. Each food business has the ability and responsibility to improve this problem along the whole supply chain.

What’s always in your fridge? How do you use it?
85% dark chocolate. Handsome Brook Farm eggs. Brooklyn Grange hot sauce. (Remember Behind The Plate with Brooklyn Grange’s Ben Flanner?) Overnight oats. Homemade vegetable broth. Hot sauce goes on the eggs. Everything else is consumed independently.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job?
I enjoy contributing to a team that is helping shape the way people are eating and the way food is grown. I also like supporting our farmers and giving them a direct line of sight into where their food is being served and who is eating it.

What are some of the principles that guide your business?
Food and people come first: we invest in the quality of our product and our employees. We understand we have to make concessions sometimes, and not every vegetable can grow in our backyards in NYC. That’s okay—we really want to enable our people to make the best judgment calls so they can help nourish the people who everyday strive for balance in their nutrition.

What was your biggest challenge / hardest moment in relation to your business?
There are too many to list—how to grow and scale is what we are focused on at the moment. Even going to Boston, which is not so far from New York, means building new relationships and a new supply chain in a new region. We’re very focused on finding partners that can grow with us at the moment.

How are you putting #NoFoodWaste principles into practice and raising public awareness about food waste?
In 2015, 19% of our vegetables purchased had cosmetic defects. Examples are super jumbo sized sweet potatoes, broccoli with hollow stems, slightly creamy cauliflower or apples that are either oversized or with red blemishes. We have this conversation with all of our farmers and suppliers, and it’s certainly a process that takes time and is based on forming good relationships. The business to consumer retailer still drives much of the fresh produce demand and has defined the word ‘quality’ as it relates to what a good piece of produce should look like. For example, we give Charlie Muzzarelli, one of our suppliers, a fair price for his jumbo sweet potatoes, for what otherwise would be a product he might have to dump on the market or back into the ground.

Who is your food inspiration? Tell us why.
Paul and Sandy Arnold at Pleasant Valley Farm in Argyle, NY. I lived and worked on their five acre organic vegetable farm for a season and it was truly a labor of love. Paul spent his first few years living out of a tent and farming on a land without any structures (packing shed, house, greenhouse, major irrigation, etc.). Twenty years later, they have two kids, run a profitable farm, and have helped countless farmers start their own. Although I didn’t stay in farming, days spent with Paul and Sandy picking strawberries and weeding onions in the summer heat certainly inspired me to do what I do now.

If you weren’t doing what you’re doing, what would you be pursuing?
Probably venturing into some form of urban or rural agriculture. I have a massive garden that I tend to in Long Island, and I run an office CSA.

Who is one famous person, dead or alive, that you’d like to share a meal with? Where?
John Lennon. We’d grab a bite at a concession stand during a Farm Aid concert.

Food issues have not quite made it into the upcoming Presidential Debate. If you could ask the future President to consider a food issue that needs to be addressed, what would it be?
Land access and ownership. The first barrier for young people interested in the farming industry is access to land.

If you could get the general population to change one aspect of their eating habits, what would it be?
Moderation! You don’t necessarily have to cut anything out, just reduce your consumption of it to achieve a good balance.

Your good food wish?
That people continue to place more time, money and value on good food.

Favorite meal / recipe?
Roasted Brussels sprouts and bacon with pan seared scallops!

#NoFoodWaste

TOP 5 #NOFOODWASTE POSTS OF THE WEEK

November 13, 2015

#NoFoodWaste November continues! Here are this week’s Top 5 #NoFoodWaste Posts.
Keep posting, Foodstanders, to see your good-food deeds in next week’s Top 5!
And of course, a chance to win prizes!

 

@welike2cook 

Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds #NoFoodWaste

Ingredients: Pumpkin seeds, ground cumin, smoked paprika, kosher salt, extra virgin olive oil

 


@JenniferEmilson

Moroccan Meatless Monday. Those tomatoes that were looking sad, wrinkled and oh a tad too ripe, were roasted in the oven with olive oil, salt and pepper till charred. Pureed up and put into freezer bags till desired. Now they are a soup with a kick!! #NoFoodWaste

Ingredients: Roma tomatoes, chicken stock, red lentils, harissa, ras el hanout, za’atar, black sesame, pine nuts, onion, cilantro, naan bread


 

@skylightfarm

#NoFoodWaste November—the flowers on Thai basil plants are wonderful. Use them in teas, as a tasty garnish, or even put them in a small mesh bag and steep them in stews/soups.

Ingredients: Thai basil

 


 

@sugardetoxme 

Who needs carrot tops when you don’t even have carrot bottoms! Rated PG-13 carrots from the Union Square Green Market. #NoFoodWaste

Ingredients: Carrot
Location: Union Square Green Market

 


 

@etsummer

Squash lovers anonymous over here. You best believe I roasted the seeds! #NoFoodWaste November.

Ingredients: Delicata squash

 

#NoFoodWaste

THE LEAN, CLEAN, FOOD-PRESERVING MACHINE

November 9, 2015

Photo @Therecessbelle

NATIONAL CLEAN OUT YOUR FRIDGE DAY

This upcoming Sunday, November 15th is National Clean Out Your Fridge Day. Devised by Whirlpool Home Appliances in 1999, this special fall cleaning day was created in preparation for the approaching Thanksgiving holiday. Now before you roll your eyes and start picturing the little missus in an apron singing 1950’s jingles, let’s take a moment to think about your refrigerator.

The keeper of perishable sustenance, your fridge has a long history. Icehouses have been around for thousands of years. Originally pits were dug to store ice and keep perishable foods from going bad. Subsequently, dedicated structures were built, and ice was packed in straw to insulate the blocks and keep food cold. Another version of the fridge dates back to the mid 1700’s, when small buildings were first constructed over natural springs to protect the fresh water from animals and debris. The temperature in these small buildings stayed cool throughout the year, so people began storing perishable items in their spring houses as well.

While technology has progressed quite a bit since these early fridge prototypes, our mentality about food, in theory, is much the same. We keep food cold to preserve its life, thereby maximizing our resources and respecting our ingredients, just as people did hundreds and thousands of years ago. But often food gets forgotten in the back of our fridges, going to waste. We at Foodstand are pledging a #NoFoodWaste November, and we invite you to do the same! How? If you haven’t already, click to tweet your #NoFoodWaste pledge. And continue to share your good no-food-waste deeds on the Foodstand app and apply #NoFoodWaste for a chance to win prizes from Dig Inn and Farm To People.

National Clean Out Your Fridge Day is a brilliant reminder to limit waste. First, seize the day! If produce is about to go bad, now is the time to use it before it’s too late. Employ food CPR to revive sad and wilted vegetables, then cook up something tasty! Second, use the occasion to clean and reorganize your fridge by implementing proper storage techniques to prolong the life of your food. Simply adjusting the way you store your produce can lengthen its life by days or even weeks. Learn about food CPR and proper storage, plus additional ways to help you cut food waste in the kitchen in Foodstand’s #NoFoodWaste November Tips.

It’s not just us home cooks that are practicing these #NoFoodWaste techniques. Restaurant professionals are savvy in the ways of maximizing resources too. Check out this week’s READ section to learn more about how Elizabeth Meltz, director of food safety and sustainability at Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group restaurants (Babbo, Del Posto), is implementing policies to cut down on food waste. If she can do it, we can do it too.

EAT & DRINK


KALE AND FRESH CORN SALAD WITH MICROGREENS by sugardetoxme

INGREDIENTS

12 large Lacinato Kale leaves, torn and stems removed
1 whole fresh corn, uncooked and shucked
1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
handful of microgreens (in this salad, red sorrel and amaranth)
Pinch of Maldon salt
Squeeze of lemon juice

METHOD

Massage the olive oil throughout the kale, softening the leaves up.

Add corn to salad. Toss in the microgreens. Add salt, a squeeze of lemon and serve!

 


GINGER VEGETABLE STIR FRY by annefood (adapted from the kitchn)

INGREDIENTS

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
a large knob fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
1 onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, sliced
3 large heads baby bok choy, sliced into strips (stem and leaves)
3 scallions, cut into inch-long pieces (white and green parts)
2 teaspoons, toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon mirin
2 tablespoons Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
a splash rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
extra virgin olive oil
ea salt and freshly ground black pepper
steamed brown rice, for serving

METHOD

Cook your brown rice according to package directions.

Preheat the oven to 425. Toss the cauliflower with a splash of olive oil on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with a large pinch of crushed sea salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Place in the oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until the cauliflower starts to crisp.

Add a large splash of olive oil to your wok over medium heat. Add the ginger, and let cook for a couple of minutes until it starts to show some color. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until the onion begins to soften and caramelize. Add the bok choy, cauliflower, scallions, sesame oil, mirin, Bragg’s, rice wine vinegar and red pepper flakes, and toss to combine. Let cook for about 5 minutes, until the bok choy stems have softened slightly.

Place a mound of rice to each bowl. Add a large spoonful of vegetables on top, followed by a drizzle of sauce.

#NoFoodWaste

TOP 5 #NOFOODWASTE POSTS OF THE WEEK

November 6, 2015

#NoFoodWaste November is off to a great start! Here are this week’s Top 5 #NoFoodWaste Posts.
Keep posting, Foodstanders, to see your good-food deeds in next week’s Top 5!

 

@skylightfarm

Don’t forget to eat your beet greens! They’re delicious. We see too many people just break these off their beets and toss them. #NoFoodWaste

Ingredients: Beet greens

 


@etsummer

Sometimes Tuesday feels like a Monday. And you must have cheesy fries for lunch. But you bake the fries and throw some tomatoes on there so it’s not thaaat unhealthy. And then you put all your about-to-go-bad herbs into a salsa verde-ish thing because #NoFoodWaste. And suddenly Tuesday is glorious.

Ingredients: Yukon gold potatoes, cherry tomato, Gouda cheese, basil, fresh thyme, parsley


 

 

@TheSucculentVegan

Roasted Acorn Squash Soup… Served in its own beauty… #NoFoodWaste
 

 


 

@lauren

Threw in the basil stalks for my #NoFoodWaste pesto! I was a little skeptical of the texture but once I stirred it into some spaghetti squash, I couldn’t tell the difference.

Ingredients: Fresh basil, parmesan cheese, garlic, pine nuts, extra virgin olive oil

 


@JenniferEmilson

Brekkie today: Creamsicle Smoothie. And don’t waste the orange peels: at the bottom of the trash can (under the bag) they are a deodorizer; dried peels work great in brown sugar to keep it from drying out; and in water in a spray bottle—insect repellant! I also see banana bread #NoFoodWaste

Ingredients: Navel orange, banana, kefir, chia seeds, almond milk, sprouted flaxseed powder, vanilla extract