Nothing Goes to Waste!

Zero Food Waste!

Green Food Lab

Riva San Vitale, Switzerland

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Written By: Camille Marraccini

October 23rd, 2025

This week, the SALUTE students participated in our third Green Food Lab class with Chef Elisa Lazzari. Over the past few months, we have completed several hands-on sessions led by Elisa, a local chef here in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland. Elisa specializes in 100% plant-based cooking and brings a unique artistic flair to every dish. What exactly is a Green Food Lab, and what does plant-based cooking mean? According to Elisa, cooking with green whole foods allows us to rediscover our creativity in the kitchen. Cooking helps us reconnect with our artistic side, one that many of us may have forgotten. In plant-based cooking, color, texture, flavor, and aroma must all coexist to craft dishes that not only nourish the body but also inspire the mind and excite the senses.

In this lab, we focused on one of the most important sustainability principles: Zero Food Waste! We washed, chopped and prepped many vegetables, fruits and ingredients for a multiple course meal focusing on creating zero food waste, and using every part of the vegetable, from root to leaf! We walked into our kitchen and were greeted with a beautiful display of fresh vegetables, kitchen utensils, knives, pots, pans, cutting boards, everything full of color and ready to be prepared. We took our seats and Chef Elisa had us review the many cutting techniques we have learned in previous classes.

Dish One: Mushroom and Lentil Ragù

Our first dish was a hearty mushroom and lentil ragù. We finely diced mushrooms, carrots, red onions, and celery using the mirepoix technique to create uniform cubes. The vegetables were gently sautéed in olive oil until they released their natural aroma and took on a light golden color. Then we added red lentils and tomato paste, stirring until everything blended together. After simmering with water on low heat, the kitchen filled with a warm, savory scent that felt like the perfect start to our zero-waste feast!

Turning Scraps into Stock!

But what about all those leftover bits, such as celery leaves, carrot stems, onion skins, and mushroom peels? In most kitchens, they would go straight into the trash. Not here! We saved every scrap to make a flavorful vegetable stock, letting them simmer slowly in a separate pot. These are items I would always throw away in my own kitchen, but this lab made me realize how every part is useful. I learned that what we often see as “waste” can actually be a source of flavor, nutrients, and creativity in the kitchen.

Dish Two: Purple Cabbage Slaw

Next up was a purple cabbage slaw. We thinly sliced the cabbage into long, skinny ribbons and added a generous amount of salt, ensuring every strand was well coated. Then came the fun part, using our hands to massage the cabbage until it began to “sweat.” The salt drew out moisture, softening the texture and brightening the color. Once tender, we mixed it with soy-based yogurt, a bit of mustard, and some seasoning. The result was a vibrant, creamy, and tangy slaw that tasted even better than it looked.

Dish Three: Maple-Soy Glazed Cauliflower

The next step was preparing and cleaning large heads of cauliflower. We carefully trimmed away the outer leaves and tough stems, adding them straight into our simmering vegetable stock to ensure (once again) that nothing went to waste. After cutting the cauliflower into golf ball sized florets, we placed them above a pot of boiling water to begin steaming, rather than submerging them directly. This gentle method helped the cauliflower soften without losing its shape or nutrients. Once tender, we transferred the florets into a bowl of cold water to blanch, locking in their light color and stopping the cooking process. A few florets were set aside for our final dish, but the rest became the base of our glaze experiment. After patting them dry, we sliced the florets in half and placed them into a hot pan. Then came the best part: pouring on our homemade glaze made from fresh maple syrup and soy sauce. As the sauce bubbled and caramelized, the cauliflower turned golden and crisp on the edges. We finished by sprinkling sesame seeds on top for a nutty crunch. This side dish was beautifully balanced, with a sweet-and-salty glaze, a crisp exterior, and a soft, warm inside.

Dish Four: Purple Vegetable Risotto

The final step of our lab was putting everything we had created to use by making a purple vegetable risotto. Our homemade broth was made entirely from vegetable scraps, including celery and cauliflower leaves, mushroom and carrot stems, and the outer skins of red onions and purple cabbage. Together, these ingredients produced a bright and deeply colored purple broth that looked as beautiful as it smelled. Once the broth was ready, we strained out the softened scraps and blended them with a few steamed cauliflower florets to create a smooth, creamy vegetable sauce. It was amazing to see how what started as “waste” transformed into a rich, flavorful base for our final dish.

To begin the risotto, we added raw rice to a hot pot with a drizzle of olive oil to start the toasting process. This crucial step helps harden the outer layer of each grain so the rice stays whole and slightly firm, rather than turning mushy. After lightly toasting, we poured in a splash of white wine (from the Ticino Region, of course!) and let it simmer until the liquid evaporated. This became a test on patience. We slowly added our broth, one ladle at a time, stirring continuously to ensure the rice absorbed each addition before adding more. This constant motion prevented the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning. Finally, we turned off the heat and stirred in our cauliflower-based vegetable cream, blending the flavors together into a perfectly smooth and velvety finish. The result was a stunning purple risotto that was vegan, rich, and full of depth from all the ingredients we had repurposed throughout the day. Each bite carried the story of every peel, leaf, and stem we saved, reminding us that creativity and sustainability truly go hand in hand in the kitchen.

This Green Food Lab reminded me that sustainability in cooking is not just about using fewer ingredients or avoiding waste, but about reimagining the way we see food altogether. Each step of this class showed how creativity and mindfulness can transform what many would throw away into something full of flavor. From mastering new techniques to deepening my appreciation for every part of a vegetable, I learned that true sustainability starts with awareness and intention. Cooking with Chef Elisa has changed the way I look at my own kitchen habits, encouraging me to slow down, experiment, and use ingredients with purpose. If one day in the kitchen can completely reshape the way I think about waste, imagine how many small changes we could make in our everyday lives to create a more sustainable world.