Zero Waste Kombucha

This kombucha recipe was designed for a workshop in the Moving Feast Kitchen in Melbourne; a circular innovation kitchen turning food waste streams into delicious food and providing a space for community activations.

It utilizes the less loved ingredients found in the home. Often categorized as “waste” these ingredients yield heaps of flavour and can offer an opportunity for joy in creating these refreshing, sparkling drinks.

Ingredients

160mL kombucha

1 kombucha SCOBY

65g sugar

735mL water

Flavourings, e.g.

- citrus peels

- apple skins or cores

- fruit or berries

- ginger peels

- spices

- herbs

- used coffee grounds

- tea leaves

Method

Make your ‘tea’

1. Place 735mL water, sugar, and flavourings into a saucepan, bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.

2. Taste your sweet ‘tea’ solution, and adjust the flavourings as you like.

3. Strain the tea into a clean 1L jar, cover, and set aside to cool (in the fridge to speed it up).

4. Once the tea is cool (below 30oC), add the kombucha and SCOBY.

Important: If your tea is too hot, you will kill the live culture needed for fermentation.

5. Cover the mouth of the jar with a teatowel or clean cloth and secure with a rubber band so that no insects or dust can get into the kombucha while it is fermenting. Ensure the cloth stays dry, to prevent contamination.

First fermentation – 1 week

Store the jar in dark place for one week, covered with a cloth. Give it a little swirl every few days to keep the SCOBY submerged. After a week the kombucha should taste slightly acidic and a new SCOBY may have grown on the top of the tea.

Second fermentation – 1 week

Strain the kombucha into a clean jar or flip-top bottle, reserving the SCOBY and 160mL of kombucha for your next batch. Seal the bottle or jar and store for another week, until the kombucha is lightly sparkling. Store in the fridge and drink chilled.

Low Footprint Breakfast Joy

Shakshouka is a wonderful dish with so many regional and cultural variations. This recipe is adapted from a zero-waste shakshouka designed for the menu at Raweley Resort & Spa in Ontario, 2023. This dish is a wonderfully comforting start to the day. Packed with flavour and protein it will keep your belly and soul satisfied until late in the afternoon. Easy to make at home and will put a smile on your tired morning-face!

With only 0.97KG CO2 equivalent it has the same carbon footprint as a car travelling 5km.

For contrast, the carbon footprint of a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich is the equivalent to travelling 18km in a car.

Makes 4 portions (the sauce can be easily frozen in portions)

Ingredients

For the Sauce

¼ cup / 60g harissa paste

4 cups / 1kg tomato passata

2 cups / 110g red onion, finely diced

2 tablespoons oil (canola, olive, sunflower)

Salt to taste

1 cup canned chickpeas

8 eggs, preferably free run or pasture-raised

80g ricotta (or similar soft cheese)

1 bunch chives, finely chopped

4 slices focaccia or bread of choice

Method

For the Sauce

1. In a saucepan, sweat the red onion in the oil over a medium heat until translucent and sweet.

2. Add in the harissa paste and continue to sauté until fragrant.

3. Add in the tomato passata and bring to a simmer.

4. Continue to simmer for around 20 minutes. Add salt to taste.

5. Remove from heat and allow to cool. This can be stored and frozen if needed at a later date.

To Complete the Dish

1. In a large frying pan or skillet, add the chickpeas and sauce. Bring to a simmer.

2. Crack the eggs directly into the sauce and cover with a lid to aid the cooking process.

3. After around 10 minutes the eggs should be cooked but still have soft yolks.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle over the ricotta and chives.

5. Sprinkle a little salt over the eggs and serve in the pan to share with the focaccia or preferred ‘edible scoop’.

Welsh Rarebit Sauce

What is more comforting than cheese on toast? This oozy rendition of the classic cheese and beer sauce on toast uses ingredients that are all available in the Marben Market. 

This recipe will make a nice jar-ful that can be kept in the fridge, spread on toast and broiled, or even in a next-level grilled cheese.

Makes 750ml Sauce

Ingredients

50g unsalted butter

65g organic light bread flour

60g smooth Branston pickle

140g Collective Arts porter

454g/1lb aged cheddar, grated

40g whole milk

Sourdough - to make cheese on toast or a grilled cheese sandwich

Method

1. Start by combining the branston pickle, porter and milk in a bowl.

2. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the flour to make a roux and stir together until smooth.

3. Gradually add the liquid to the roux over the heat while whisking. The result should be a smooth paste. Remove the pan from the heat.

4. Turn the heat down to low and add the grated cheese. Stir well until all the cheese has melted. Be careful not to have the heat too high or the cheese fat will separate. 

5. The rarebit is now ready to make a grilled cheese, spread on toast or even toss with macaroni. Alternatively, store it in a container and place in the fridge until you get peckish. It’ll keep for around a month if stored properly.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Serves 2-4

Ingredients
For the Cake:

40g Unsalted Butter
60g Brown Sugar
1 Large Egg
75g All Purpose Flour
½ tsp Baking Powder
⅛ tsp Ginger Powder
¼ tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Espresso
75g Dates, Chopped
90ml Boiling Water

For the Butterscotch:

50g Unsalted Butter
70g Brown Sugar
2 tbsp 35% Cream

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375F.

2. To start with making the cake, soak the dates in the boiling water for around 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cream together the 60g brown sugar and 40g butter in a mixing bowl. Add the egg and combine.

4. Add the dry ingredients and mix well.

5. Add in the soaked dates and espresso and mix until all is incorporated.

6. Grease a small tray approximately 4” x 6” or small cake tin and scrape the batter into it.

7. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until when checked with a skewer, it comes out clean.

8. In the meantime, start the butterscotch by taking a small saucepan and melting the 50g butter and 70g brown sugar over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.

9. Add the cream slowly and stir well until combined to a smooth sauce.

10. Pour the sauce over the cake and let soak in for a few minutes.

11. Serve and enjoy

Optional: add a scoop of ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

Sausage & Bean Cassoulet

A perfect winter warmer to sooth the soul.
Although this recipe calls for garlic miso sausages and specific beans, you can use any sausage or type of beans.

Serves 4

Ingredients

80g dried coco blanco beans, soaked overnight in water
60g dried navy beans, soaked overnight in water
4 garlic miso pork sausages
35g smoked Berkshire bacon
1 small onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, sliced
1 medium carrot, diced
125 mL white wine
330g chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp black pepper
200g canned tomatoes
Salt, to taste
Sourdough, to serve

Method

1. Add the diced bacon into a cold deep cast iron pot or casserole pan. Turn to medium heat and let the fat render from the bacon.

2. Turn up to a medium high heat and brown the sausages.

3. Add the onion, carrot, garlic and sweat, without browning.

4. Add bay leaves, smoked paprika, fennel seeds and black pepper and de-glaze with the white wine. Simmer the wine for a minute or so then add the stock and canned tomatoes. Add the beans.

5. Simmer for 40 minutes with the lid on for the beans to cook in the liquid.

6. Remove the lid and add a little salt as required.

7. Let simmer with the lid off for 40 more minutes to let the liquid thicken.

8. Season to taste and serve.

Fluffy Roast Potatoes

Ingredients

1kg Russet potatoes (or an equally floury potato)
200g beef tallow or duck fat
Salt to taste

Method

1. Turn on oven to preheat at 400f.

2. Peel the potatoes and cut into rough 2 inch cubes. These don’t have to be uniform and will actually create better textures if they are of different shapes.

3. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil with enough space to accommodate the potatoes.

4. Drop in the spuds and boil for around 5 minutes or until the exterior of the potato can be roughed up with a fork. The rest of the potato should be very firm.

5. Strain the water and allow the potatoes to let off some steam. This will help with the fluffing. 2 minutes should be sufficient.

6. In a container with a lid, shake the potatoes vigorously to fluff up the outside. Let sit uncovered at room temperature.

7. Put the fat in a baking tray that will just accommodate the amount of potatoes in a flat layer. Place in the oven and heat until the fat is melted and smoking hot. This will take around 5 minutes.

8. Carefully pull the tray out of the oven and gently add the potatoes, being careful not to splash the hot fat. Give them a careful roll in the fat and season generously.

9. Return to the oven and cook until golden brown on the bottom. Give them a shake or turn them over individually and return to the oven until golden brown.

10. Season to taste and serve.