Waste Free Greenwich held its first- ever Zero Waste Dinner Oct. 16th at Riverside’s St. Catherine of Siena Church with a sold-out crowd in attendance. The one-of-a-kind evening of “all taste, no waste” treated 240 guests to a gourmet multicourse meal showcasing how sustainable innovation and fine dining can easily intersect when cooking at home and entertaining.
The opening salvo of the meal featured an amuse-bouche of organic, locally grown vegetables that had been lacto-fermented by members of Waste Free Greenwich under the tutelage of Terry Walters, a bestselling cookbook author, chef and educator.
Accompanying the fermented vegetables were baskets of surplus loaves from Tatte Bakery & Café rescued by Food Rescue US, Fairfield County, which were paired with bottles of donated organic Arlotta extra virgin olive oil and Vivo Lambrusco vinegar for dipping. Arlotta Food Studio is a Californian olive oil producer that turns its leftover olive pits into animal feed to eliminate waste. Crafted in Modena, Italy, Vivo vinegar was born from a zero-waste mindset and a happy accident during the pandemic when owners and Riverside residents Peter and Linda Levy used an aging, nearly empty bottle of Lambrusco wine as a substitute for red wine vinegar.
Volunteers, including students from Greenwich High School and Greenwich Country Day School, artfully served the next course created by Greenwich resident and private chef Juan Benitez, of Juan’s Table. This seasonal “Whole Harvest” appetizer featured delicata squash roasted in its skin, brushed with a glaze and stuffed with slivers of raw “ugly” apples donated by Woodland Farm, brussels sprouts, and its own roasted seeds so that no part of the vegetable went to waste.
The entrée was presented by Frederic Kieffer, executive chef at l’Escale, who prepared a Field & Farm Terrine using extra rice, chicken and beef – ingredients that many people typically have lingering in their refrigerator as leftovers. To additionally demonstrate how one can create a complete meal using items that might otherwise be discarded, the terrine was accompanied by fried potato skins and outer brussels sprout leaves as a green.
Last but not least, the dessert was created by Paul Clarke, director of Food Services at Greenwich Country Day School, who presented a “Second Chance Tiramisu” in colorfully pretty upcycled La Fermiere yogurt pots. This delicious meal finale featured a coffee yogurt crème made using La Fermiere yogurt, which was originally excess inventory. A brownie crumble base came from Greyston Bakery brownies that were slightly off spec so couldn’t be sold. By donating their unsaleable brownies to receiving agencies via Food Rescue US, Fairfield County, they prevent waste and simultaneously address food insecurity, ensuring the perfectly good food reaches local agencies serving those in need.
All courses were served on reusable nontoxic stainless-steel Ahimsa food trays. A videotaped message from Dr. Manasa Mantravadi, pediatrician and Ahimsa founder, was played in which she highlighted the health and environmental impacts of using disposable food trays in school cafeterias. The trays are being donated to Julian Curtiss School post-event to help their soon-to-be renovated cafeteria transition away from single-use trays.
Guests enjoyed a choice of beverages, including tap water served in wine and alcohol bottles that Waste Free Greenwich members stripped of their labels for repurposing as water vessels. La Fermiere yogurt pots functioned as water glasses in the ultimate example of purposeful upcycling. Recyclable aluminum cans of Asarasi Sparkling Tree Water provided an alternative to still water. Asarasi turns the water that is a maple syrup processing by-product into a refreshing plant-sourced beverage. Beer was provided by Two Roads Brewery, a local brewery that has made sustainability a central part of their operations and identity. Many of the wines were also selected for their alignment with zero-waste and sustainable production practices.
Almost everything on the tables, including the décor and food serviceware, was either shared, donated, upcycled or made from natural materials that can be composted, including the festive pumpkins and mums, courtesy of Sam Bridge Nursery that decorated the parish hall’s stage.
The main event of the evening was a Tossed Chef Competition. Mike Geller, formerly of Mike’s Organic Delivery, emceed as chefs Kieffer and Walters went head-to-head in a cooking showdown to see who could make the best salad out of a set of limited ingredients in only six minutes. A consensus between three judges determined Chef Frederic to be the winner.
As guests enjoyed the meal and programming and chatted with friends and neighbors, Waste Free Greenwich board members shared details about their organization’s efforts to combat the pervasive issue of food waste in Greenwich. Since helping to launch the town’s municipal food scrap recycling program in 2020, their voluntary drop-off initiative has collected and diverted nearly 700,000 pounds of food scraps from the waste stream. Thanks to a state grant, the town will soon launch a new program featuring three enclosed collection units, or “smart bins,” that will be available 24/7 in Old Greenwich and Cos Cob. These bins will dramatically increase accessibility for residents and help divert even more food scraps.
To cap off the evening, Sally Davies, longtime chair of the Greenwich Recycling Advisory Board and founding member of Waste Free Greenwich, was awarded a Lifetime Waste Warrior Award for her dedication and service to the community and her commitment to leading a zero-waste lifestyle. From sneaker drives and textile collections to paper shredding days and beach cleanups, Davies has spent decades fighting for a cleaner, greener Greenwich.
In her closing remarks Julie DesChamps, founder and chair of Waste Free Greenwich, thanked the event sponsors, donors, event co-chairs Anne Drake and Sara Keller, Waste Free Greenwich board members and the organizing committee. She added, “this zero-waste dinner isn’t just a meal; it’s a powerful demonstration of our commitment to sustainability and a truly incredible community effort.”
Founded in 2019, Waste Free Greenwich aims to engage, educate and empower the Greenwich community to waste less by providing solutions at home, school and work through the 6Rs: refuse, reuse, reduce, repair, recycle and rot. As an independent 501(c)(3) organization, Waste Free Greenwich does not receive funding from the town of Greenwich and relies on individual donations and grant funding to support its initiatives and programming.
