Season Two of my Cascade PBS show The Nosh with Rachel Belle premiered last Thursday, and the first two episodes are focused on something I’m personally very passionate about: zero waste!
In episode one, I’m joined by Seattle’s Joel Gamoran, one of the country’s best-known sustainable chefs, host of PBS’ Homemade Live and author of the cookbook Cooking Scrappy. I love Joel!
Joel rifles through my (embarrassingly messy) fridge (seriously, why didn’t I clean it out before he came over??), searching for scraps, stems and peels that would normally get tossed into the compost, and shows me how to transform them into a meal that could easily be served at a restaurant.
And in episode two (out tomorrow!), I visited Salt & Straw’s Portland headquarters to create an upcycled ice-cream flavor on the fly with co-founder Tyler Malek, also with ingredients that would have otherwise ended up in the trash.
So I thought I would share some of the things I do at home to minimize waste in the cooking and kitchen space!
Do try this at home - just with less water. (Sam Lu/Unsplash)
1. Kitchen Counter Scallions
For green onions that keep on giving, store them root-down in a jar with just a smidge of water (way less than in this photo!). The greens will continue to grow, and you can snip off what you need when you need it. They stay fresh for weeks on the countertop, and I buy half as many scallions as I used to.
🔥Hot tip: Change out the water at least once a week so it doesn’t get stinky & keep the roots wet so the scallions don’t dry out.
2. Make Leek Green Chips!
Most recipes call for only the white and light-green parts of the leek, so I always felt guilty composting the tough, dark greens that often make up more than half of the plant. Then I learned a magic trick from my friend, Seattle food writer Jill Lightner, author of the low-waste cookbook Scraps, Peels and Stems.
Jill told me to wash and dry the dark leek greens, cut them into two-inch chunks, coat them with a little olive oil, sprinkle them with salt and roast them on high heat until crispy, watching closely so they don’t burn. The result is a leeky doppelganger for sour cream and onion chips! They are seriously delicious on their own & a lovely, crispy garnish if you’re making potato leek soup.
🔥Hot tip: If you can’t be bothered to make chips, throw the dark leek greens in a bag in the freezer, along with your carrot, celery and onion scraps and use them to make stock.
3. Swedish Dish Cloths
Several years ago, I set a goal for myself: to use no more than one roll of paper towels a year. Thanks to Swedish dish cloths, I only buy a roll of paper towels about every two years! I use them to wipe down surfaces and clean up spills. Paper towels are for making bacon, camping or cleaning up the very rare pet mess.
🔥Hot Tip: To avoid spreading bacteria, throw the cloths into your washing machine (but air-dry) or dip them in bleach water. When they’re at the end of their life, toss them in the compost bin.
Farmer's market soap - it really does work! (Courtesy Sage on the Mountain)
4. Package-Free Dish Soap!
You know what makes me really feel like I’m in an episode of Portlandia? Telling people I buy locally made, natural, small-batch, package-free, solid dish soap from a small business owned by a very nice lady at the Ballard Farmers Market! But you know what? It really works! Sage on the Mountain gets just as sudsy as liquid dish soap, it smells great (lemongrass or peppermint) and there is no plastic in sight.
🔥Hot tip: The bar will stick to the soap dish after a couple uses. Instead of picking it up, simply rub your wet sponge across the bar to lather up.
Other easy swaps:
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Skip the plastic produce bags at the grocery store! With the exception of unwieldy veg like Brussels sprouts and green beans, I put my fruits and veggies directly into the cart and pack them into my totes at checkout. I wash everything when I get home.
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Switch to cloth napkins (in a dark color or busy pattern so they don’t stain). Buy two or three sets so you never run out when a bunch are in the wash. The all-cotton napkins are really affordable at Cost Plus World Market!
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Use washable, heat-proof silicon storage bags instead of disposable zip-top bags.
Have a food- or drink-related question (Need a restaurant rec? Have a mystery that needs solving?) Send me a note: rachel.belle@cascadepbs.org
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XO
Rachel Belle
