Tasty zero-waste cooking
Chef Derek Oman (second left) with CCEN committee members Martin Lyttle, Tanya Lac O'Neill and Bernadette Power
“THIS IS MADE from banana skin!” Several participants marvelled at the unexpected ingredients during a recent climate café hosted by Lambert’s Coffee House with Co Carlow Environmental Network (CCEN).
The delightful, delicious preserves and fermented foods were presented by Derek Oman. A sustainability-focused chef passionate about zero-waste cooking, Derek’s ethos of reducing food waste sounds serious, but produces tasty results. The aim of the evening was to explore our relationship with food from growers, producers and the consumer, and how we value our food in terms of its sustainability. Food causes 30% of global carbon emissions, including sprays and transport.
By valuing locally-grown seasonal food, we can have a significant positive impact on our environment. There was great curiosity about how we can produce healthy and flavourful food from ‘food waste’, such as banana chutney, pickled broccoli stems and lacto-fermented tomato ketchup, with a focus on seasonal produce. The evening was very interactive, as Derek demonstrated various food preservation techniques with everyone comparing notes on their favourite flavours. Check ccen.ie or join the mailing list info@ccen.ie.
