Let’s be clear about a couple things on this #WasteNotWednesday. First, reducing food waste isn’t just a trend—chicken carcasses and woody green stems aren’t especially ‘grammable, anyway. Second, we and the talented Waste Not cookbook contributors don’t claim to have invented all these eco-friendly techniques. Instead, we’re drawing on centuries of restaurant chef know-how and home-cook ingenuity to learn how to utilize every root, bone, and stem in our grocery bags.
This week, channel your inner nonna by unleashing the flavor hidden in the rind—yes, the rind—of a wedge of parmesan. Once you’ve sliced, shaved, and grated down to the very end, just toss it into a soup (like this nourishing recipe from Chefs Boot Camp alum Sara Jenkins) for a welcome dose of salty umami. Pro-tip: this trick works with Grana Padano, Pecorino Romano, and other “grano”-type cheeses, as well. Get the recipe and start saving up those rinds today.
Hungry for more? View our entire recipe collection.
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The James Beard Foundation's new cookbook, Waste Not: How to Get the Most from Your Food, offers up a host of delicious solutions to the pressing problem of food waste. Featuring 100 recipes from alumni of our Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change, Waste Not will teach you how to turn every root, bone, rind, and stem into an irresistible dish.
Waste Not: How to Get the Most from Your Food, published by Rizzoli, is on sale now. Order your copy today!
Frank Guerriero is the media assistant at the Beard Foundation. Find him on Instagram.