With a selection of locally sourced, seasonal vegetables, she created a variety of tasty dishes, illustrating perfectly how all parts of the vegetable, including the roots and the leaves can be used. Paula also explained how peelings and tops of vegetables could be used for dehydration, smoking or fermentation.
Lecturer Jane McAuley said the Masterclass was very beneficial for the students as it incorporated pasta, pulses, roots, stems, leaves, bulbs and seeds, all of which are criteria for the Professional Cookery Vegetable unit.
She continued: “With today’s growing emphasis on reducing food waste, chefs have to get creative to be able to use all parts of the vegetable, so Paula’s Masterclass certainly gave our students plenty of food for thought.”
Root to fruit (or root to stem) dining is an emerging food philosophy that encourages people to think, not just about the origin of their food, but its environmental impact, from the growing or rearing stage to the moment it reaches your plate and beyond.