Spoiler alert: As much as 40 percent of the food produced in America ends up at the dump, off-gassing methaneand contributing to climate change. And we consumers bear a great deal of the blame.
Become part of the solution with these free apps. Three of the four require a critical mass of users to create a sharing economy, so even if an app isn’t yet functional in your community, go ahead, sign up and encourage other locals to do the same.
.1. OLIO
The Gist
OLIO empowers neighbors to post and claim extra food. One of our Brooklyn-based editors recently scored free tomatoes posted by a gardener in her ‘hood.
The Caveat(s)
This peer-to-peer network depends on a significant user base for peak performance—something that’s happened only in major cities so far. There, stuff goes fast: 40 percent of listings are claimed within an hour.
The Founder’s (or a Flack’s) Two Cents
“Once people take the leap of faith, they’re almost universally delighted by the amount of groceries people give away when they leave town or start diets,” said Tessa Cook, co-founder.
2. Food for All
The Gist
Restaurants offer deep discounts on stuff they’d otherwise throw out, sometimes for as much as 80 percent off.
The Caveat(s)
Currently limited to NYC and Boston, Food for All plans to on-board five more locations by summer. Descriptions are kept deliberately vague with phrases such as “three pastries” or “salad with protein” to prevent users from gaming the system by holding out for favorite dishes.
The Founder’s (or a Flack’s) Two Cents
“We’ve enlisted 60 restaurants since launching in August 2017 and have already saved 1,000 pounds of food,” said Sabine Valenga, co-founder.
3. Food Rescue US
The Gist
Join 1,900 “food heroes” in 12 locales who receive alerts when surplus eats need to be picked up—typically from grocery stores, farmers markets or caterers—and delivered to soup kitchens and other hunger-prevention organizations.
The Caveat(s)
Busy folks may find getting pinged at work annoying. For them, we recommend opting out of being “on call” 24/7 and signing up for a recurring route—say, a stop at Whole Foods every Saturday at 2 p.m.
The Founder’s (or a Flack’s) Two Cents
“We’re not trying to influence policy; we’re feeding people. I believe we can end hunger in the U.S. one community at a time,” said Alison Sherman, director of communications.
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4. USDA FoodKeeper
The Gist
Hit “Add to Calendar” on this app (a joint venture of the USDA, Cornell University, and the Food Marketing Institute) when freezing ground beef, for instance, and in three months, you’ll be reminded that it’s use-it-or-lose-it time.
The Caveat(s)
The how-to videos (think: the safe way to thaw poultry) seem only slightly less corny than home-ec class.
The Founder’s (or a Flack’s) Two Cents
“Buying things on sale and letting them spoil doesn’t save money or food. You need to think about your inventory,” said Robert Gravani, director emeritus of Cornell’s National Good Agricultural Practices Program.
Reposted with permission from our media associate Modern Farmer.
Medicine Cabinet Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 cup small diced onion
- 1 cup small diced carrot
- 1 cup small diced celery
- 3 cloves of garlic (sliced)
- 2 tablespoons of chopped ginger
- 2 tablespoons of chopped turmeric
- 2 medium sweet potato (small diced)
- 1 bunch of kale
- 1 lemon zested (microplane)
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups of sliced wild mushrooms (shiitake, maitake, oyster)
- 4 quarts vegetable stock*
- Salt and pepper to taste
In a medium-size pot, add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, ginger and turmeric. Cook vegetables slowly over medium-low flame. (You don’t want to get color on the vegetables.) Once the vegetables are tender, add mushrooms, kale and sweet potato and turn up the heat to medium-high. Stir until the kale begins to wilt. Add the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and lower to an easy simmer. Allow to cook for 45 minutes to an hour until it is reduced down to 3 quarts. Add lemon zest and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
*Vegetable stock recipe
Use all scraps from ginger, onion, celery, turmeric, carrots, mushroom stems, and kale stalks. Chop two stalks of lemongrass and add to the mix. Cover with 6 quarts of water and reduce to 4 quarts.
