All photos in this article are courtesy of Leslie Kavasch, you can find more of her work here on Instagram.
Our Winter Scrap Supper at Tendue was a beautiful event. I’m so happy folx left feeling full, smiling, and with extra sauerkraut. (Who knew that 6 jars of kraut was way too many? I’m sure literally everyone else. Also anyone in Portland want a jar of delicious purple kraut??) If you haven’t read the first write up I encourage you to do so. We had a wonderful time with a dynamic guest list and the best help I could ask for.
glorious bread
Each Scrap Supper menu is inspired by seasonal, local produce. Specifically seasonal compost-bound bins at the farmer’s market. Yes, sometimes we’ll get the odd eyebrow raise when we ask vendors if we can dig around in their bins but more often than not they’re happy to give out surplus stalks, leaves, and bruised items to someone who’ll love them. Every dish on our menu took inspiration from something out of these bins in the hopes to inspire you to try something new. We’re cooking from root to stem to leaf over here!
roasted delicata squash (skins on!) with a lentil + ugly garlic spread on a gluten-free sourdough made with repurposed oat pulp, accented with beetroot powder
Our beautiful custom bread – gluten-free sourdough with repurposed oat pulp and rosemary / sea salt accents – for the first small plate was engineered by my dear friend, Rachel Wood. Rachel is a talented baker, artist, yoga instructor, and holistic nutritionist who knows her stuff! Honestly, what can’t this gal do?? We were so excited to collaborate on a bread that fit within our Scrap Supper restrictions (vegan, gluten-free, with oat pulp, and delicious.) It’s these kinds of partnerships that drive Closed Loop Cooking. Creative, fresh food combinations happen when you’ve got the best people in the room! Appreciate you Rachel!
Rachel + Hawnuh presenting the first course, including Rachel’s awesome GF sourdough bread with repurposed oat pulp
Good eats
This entire dinner was a zero waste event. Meaning we shopped without plastic, all food waste (very little, anything inedible) was composted accordingly, and made into scrap stock whenever possible. We put on a dinner for 14 people and didn’t use a trash can once y’all!
no wasted paper here
admiring the third course – leek green + scallion pancake with beet leaf pesto
Just like in our first dinner – we highlight unconventional ingredients to capture our resourcefulness and provide meaning to an often overlooked subject matter.So let’s talk menu: (everything this round was vegan + gluten-free.)
small plates:
- roasted delicata squash (skins on!) with a lentil + ugly garlic spread on a gluten-free sourdough made with repurposed oat pulp, accented with beetroot powder (from leftover beet pulp)
- cabbage + kohlrabi core slaw with cauliflower leaves + apple scrap vinegar served with a tumeric / carrot / ginger kraut and a red cabbage kraut
- leek green + scallion pancake with sauteed mushroom stems and beet leaf pesto served with a savory cashew cream
entree:
- cauliflower + mushroom risotto simmered in scrap stock topped with kohlrabi greens and toasted squash seeds
dessert:
- roasted pumpkin + coconut butter fudge topped with a salted pumpkin skin cracklin
cocktails + drinks:
- beetroot simple syrup with Portland local potato vodka + soda water, served with a candied meyer lemon peel (mocktail option available)
- locally made Nocino (this delightful young walnut liqueur is from Stone Barn Brandyworks) with oat mylk + preserved cherries + bruised apple chips
- locally blended herbal teas graciously donated from T Project featuring the Higher Ground chamomile and the Honey Pie roobios – highly recommend!
take home:
- upcycled cotton cloth produce bag made from old sheets and leftover macrame string, hand block printed with eco-friendly ink to encourage mindful grocery shopping
preserved cherries in syrup
making Nocino cocktails with homemade oat mylk
Winter produce is colorful, hearty, and reminds you where your food is coming from. I love cooking in the colder months because it encourages creativity and warmth. This menu was a beautiful reflection of our local produce selection here in the Pacific Northwest. We’re grateful to have access to a year-round farmer’s market and the ability to purchase groceries plastic-free. While this is not always an option for a lot of folx, approaching grocery shopping with seasonality in mind (and a reusable bag in hand) is the best way to get started making your own low impact meals.
cabbage core slaw with cauliflower leaves + two kinds of kraut
Do you have a favorite winter produce?
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If you’re making New Year’s resolutions (which I am all for, every year!) add to your list to keep following along with the blog. You can start making those shifts into the low waste lifestyle you’ve been thinking about, with lots of support from our community. We’re here for ya b. It’s time to start making changes. Closed Loop Cooking is in for some big changes as well that we’re excited to announce in 2019! Stick with us.
upcycled linens for everyone
Stay hungry,
Hawnuh Lee
Closed Loop Cooking
