Josh White
Special to the Review
Avoiding meat.
We are all attempting to eat less meat. Ethically, it is difficult to argue against this as the evidence is now overwhelming. But lately, it appears more of a bandwagon jump than a serious conversation into conservation (potential health benefits aside).
I do not wish us to stop using meat altogether as I am admittedly selfish and enjoy it far too much.
But we should go further and have more fun with what we do cook. The hunter-gatherer style of food is endlessly entertaining and satisfying. It can also shine a light on how we might better eat.
The nose to tail theory stems from this and unfortunately is almost impossible in a town like Revelstoke. Somehow we do not stock the ability to purchase lesser-used parts of our animals (and when we do I tend to buy it all up). But then we must realize this as a vegetarian and vegan issue too.
How many people really eat root to shoot? The tops of our carrots, radishes and beets are incredible but are often considered waste. The peels of potatoes, parsnips and yams are wonderful shredded into remoulade or deep-fried into chips. Brassica stalks of broccoli, cauliflower and kale can be sliced finely and used in amazing soups, sauces and salads.
Even the water from cooking our legumes should be reused as stocks.
Food and water are something in abundance here, but not so in a few months. With so many people grumbling about the price and value of food in supermarkets we should better arm ourselves with the knowledge to get the most from them.
This is a large place with many a citizen claiming to be environmentally conscious and woke in the world issues. Our climate protests prove people are voting, with some of the best businesses even closing down for the protest. Changing how we use an ingredient is an easy small step towards that goal.
Let us make our feet and our bins lighter by using the entirety of something.
The new vogue should not be avoiding meat but instead the humble trash cooking.
Carrot top pesto
• 1 bunch of carrot tops
• 1 clove of garlic
• 4 tbsp pine nuts
• A handful of basil leaves
• A handful of grated Parmesan or nutritional yeast to keep it vegan
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup of a good oil
Bash, chop or blitz as you see fit and then slowly add oil until you are happy with your texture, some like it thick and rich others loose and dribbly. It surely depends on if your pairing with your gardens last tomatoes or a wonderful trout you caught on the weekend.
@RevelstokeRevue
editor@revelstoketimesreview.com
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