Chefs tackle compost cuisine to honour new NFB film

Vancouver's top chefs are cooking up a delicious meal using food scraps in honour of a new National Film Board documentary being shown as part of the Italian Film Festival tonight.

The film Theatre of Life profiles a soup kitchen in Milan created by renowned Italian chef Massimo Bottura. He invited other top chefs and challenged them to re-purpose food waste into delicious meals to serve those in need.

For the film's opening gala in Vancouver, local chefs are putting their own spin on so-called "compost cuisine" and will create dishes made of food scraps that would normally be discarded.

Chef Robert Clarke of The Acorn and The Arbor restaurants in Vancouver is one of the participating chefs. He said people often avoid using food scraps because they don't look appealing.

"People eat with their eyes generally in the first place," he said. "When they see something that is not appealing, they're not going to go for it."

Clarke said it was important for chefs to educate the public about using things like stems, roots, and peels to prevent food from being wasted.

"It's all delicious."

The event will takes place Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. PT at the VIFF Vancity Theatre.

Chef Robert Clarke's "Compost Cuisine" Tacos

Roasted Tomato Salsa

3 roma tomatoes
1/2 jalapeno Pepper
2 garlic cloves
4 onion ends, minced
1/2 bunch, cilantro stems
1 tsp salt

1. Line a pan with tin foil and set on the stove at medium high-heat
Place the tomatoes, jalapeno and garlic cloves in the pan and dry roast on all sides until well charred and softened.
2. Peel the garlic, and place in a food processor with the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno and salt. Pulse the mix until it is smooth and taste for seasoning.

Avocado Mousse

2 avocados, pitted
2 tbsp lime juice
1  tsp salt
2 tbsp water

1. Add all ingredients into the blender and puree until well combined and smooth. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.

Pickled Shallot

5 shallots, peeled
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt

1. Slice the shallots thinly into rings and place in a heat-proof container.
2. Place the rest of the ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Pour over the shallots and let cool. Store in the fridge.

Taco Filling

3 poblano peppers, peeled, seeded, sliced and roasted
1 yam, peeled, diced, roasted with cumin seed (1 tbsp)
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
10 crimini mushrooms, washed, quartered
6 kale stems, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
24 4 1/2 inch white corn tortilla shells

1. Heat oven to 400 F. Place poblano peppers, yams and cumin seeds on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2. Heat two frying pans on medium-high heat. Add two tablespoons of grapeseed oil to each pan. Once the oil is hot, in one pan add the roasted poblano peppers, mushrooms, and onions. In the other pan, add the roasted yams and kale stems. Saute for 10 minutes or until vegetables are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Once the filling is cooked, gently heat a baking sheet over two elements of the stove until quite warm. Place the tortillas on the baking sheet and flip to the other side after 30 seconds for a further 30 seconds. Build your tacos.

With files from Margaret Gallagher

To listen to the segment, click on the link labelled Vancouver chefs tackle compost cuisine to celebrate film