Union is a restaurant in Haverstraw, NY that found an unusual use for scrap fennel stalks. Rather than throwing the tough and hard-to-eat vegetable ends into a pot to be used for flavoring soup stock, Union’s Chef Bruce Kalman found an unconventional use for the fibrous vegetable.
Chef Bruce Kalman makes fennel stalks into a juice, which is combined with a simple syrup of sugar and lemon juice to make a sorbet. While the word "sorbet" might lead consumers to think that this dish would be served as a chilled dessert, Union serves its Fennel-Stalk Sorbet alongside an arugula, fennel and citrus salad.
In an attempt to reduce food waste, many creative chefs like Kalman are coming up with inventive ways to celebrate scraps that are typically tossed without thought into the trash.
Fennel Sorbet Salads
Union Serves Its Leafy Green Salad Alongside a Fennel Stalk Sorbet
Trend Themes
1. Food Scrap Innovation - Chefs are finding creative ways to use food scraps to reduce waste and create unique dishes, like fennel stalk sorbet salad.
2. Sustainable Fine Dining - Restaurants are embracing sustainable practices and utilizing waste reduction as a selling point for environmentally conscious diners.
3. Vegetable-based Desserts - Using vegetables for innovative dessert dishes is becoming more popular as chefs explore new flavor combinations and reduce food waste.
Industry Implications
1. Food and Beverage - The food and beverage industry can embrace sustainable practices and reduce waste by utilizing innovative techniques like utilizing food scraps to create unique dishes.
2. Fine Dining - Fine dining restaurants can set themselves apart by showcasing their commitment to environmental sustainability and innovative use of food scraps to create new dishes.
3. Dessert - The dessert industry can explore new flavor combinations and reduce food waste by incorporating more vegetables into their creations.