Kristen Cornett for KMOV.com
Posted on May 11, 2010 at 7:42 PM
A new technology is on the market that keeps food waste out of landfills by turning it into water. Butler’s pantry in St. Louis is one of the first in the Midwest to adopt the new trend.
“We’re hoping to reduce our footprint…on the landfills and such,” says Greg Ziegenfuss, executive chef at Butler’s Pantry in south St. Louis. “But we’re also hoping to save money in doing that.”
They will save by cutting their trash-hauling costs. The machine composts up to 800 pounds of food waster per day. It’s expensive, but should pay for itself in a just a few years.
Here’s how it works. The food waste and disposable dishware get dumped into a machine, and microorganisms breakdown the organic waste into water that runs into the sewer. There is a misting of water and churning for part of every hour, but the majority of the time, the machine just sits, not using any electricity, allowing the microorganisms to go to work.
“Imagine at 9 a.m., your machine, the Orca Green, is filled to capacity, and then by 9 a.m. the next morning if you added absolutely nothing else, it would be empty,” says Jack Croghan of Green Smart Food Services.
The microorganisms last for one year, and they live in black chips, or biochips, once the food waste has been composted. The Orca Green has made its mark at Butler’s Pantry. Chef Ziegenfuss has even started to experiment with the Orca’s byproduct in his herb garden.
“I’m hoping to see some positive results,” he says. “It’s very nutrient rich, evidently, so we think that it’ll produce bigger, better basil.”
ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI & KPLR) – A St. Louis catering company is blazing a new trail for waste management. Butler’s Pantry at 14th and Park is turning garbage into water. They’ve come up with a process to send it flowing through sewers instead of sitting in landfills.
Butler’s Pantry is an industry giant. They may rack up $5 million in revenue before this year is out. That adds up to a lot of garbage. Worried about filling up landfills, they made an investment a month ago. They spent $40 thousand for a foreign-made appliance called “The Green Machine.”
Richard Nix, Jr., Butler’s Pantry President says “We didn’t try to focus on dollars and cents. We tried to focus on how we could make the environment a little bit better.”
Basically, biodegradable waste goes in and a rather clear liquid comes out during a 24-hour cycle. Imported from South Korea, the machines are big in Europe where landfill space is at a premium.
But this is the only one of its kind in the Midwest.
“We’re doing about 250 pounds of trash a day in the machine over the past three weeks,” Nix says.
The waste water has passed all purity tests. Butler’s Pantry officials say they’ve been given the seal of approval by both the Metropolitan Sewer District and the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
How do you dispose of your trash? Do you shove it in a plastic bag and send it off to decompose in a landfill? Do you shove it down your garbage disposal and let the little blades chop it into tiny bits that can float through the sewer? Do you compost it and turn it into fertilizer? St. Louis caterer Butler’s Pantry has just invested in a novel form of garbage disposal: the Orca Green composting “bioreactor,” which turns waste into gray water and carbon dioxide.
The Orca Green doesn’t come cheap. The St. Louis Business Journal reports that the company paid $40,000 for the machine, but president Richard Nix, Jr., told the Business Journal that with the money he’ll be saving on trash-hauling, he expects the machine to pay for itself within a few years.
The machine looks like a small, stainless-steel Dumpster and can process up to 2,000 pounds of waste per day. It uses environmentally-friendly microorganisms that break down food and biodegradable materials over the course of 24 hours. The machine operates at a low temperature so it doesn’t smell, and the manufacturers promise that it leaves no sludge or other waste products behind.
Nix adds that Butler’s Pantry will be bringing the leftovers from large catering jobs back to the kitchen to process in the Orca Green. The company is also investigating ways to use the gray water byproduct as fertilizer in its herb garden.
The Orca Green was invented in South Korea; there are currently only about 7,000 in use in the world and one in St. Louis.
Labor Day weekend in St. Louis is a local grown food lover’s dream come true. We have the end of the season corn, tomatoes, watermelon, summer squash, eggplant, peaches as well as some early autumn lettuces and greens.
St. Louis is “normally” hot Labor Day weekend so I personally like to plan a meal which incorporates items hot off the grill which can be eaten hot or warm with fresh, cold / room temperature items to compliment the grilled items. Ideally as much work as possible can be done a day or two in advance so the host and hostess can enjoy the company of their friends, family and neighbors. With advanced planning, list writing and timelines, a delicious creative menu can be planned and executed and you can still enjoy the party.
Depending on the size of the get together you can always go pot luck and encourage guests to bring a dish of their liking. This also involves some planning as you do not want to end up with three green bean salads or seven desserts and no salads. When guests RSVP you can ask what they are planning on bringing and if their item too closely resembles another you can politely ask them to change their dish and make a suggestion as to what is needed.
Be sure to have plenty of beverages, both alcoholic and non alcoholic. Put jugs of Iced tea, lemonade and water out for guests to help themselves to and enjoy. Put beer in ice troughs as a self service item. If offering a full bar perhaps hire a local college student to help with the bar service and clean up. Be sure to have plenty of ice on hand. Do not forget mixers and fruit for the bar.
When all else fails there is always the option of hiring a professional caterer to make your party a fantastic affair with hardly lifting a finger.
Menu:
Spiced Rubbed Chicken Breasts with Roasted Corn and Tomato relish over a bed of baby Arugula
Spiced rubbed chicken: (serves eight)
8 – 8oz. skin on chicken breasts cut in half
2 Tablespoons kosher salt
1 Tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon Onion powder
1 Tablespoon Sweet Paprika
2 Teaspoon Garlic powder
Combine the spices and whisk to combine. Rub the skin on chicken breast generously with the spice rub and allow to stand at room temperature for an hour. Place chicken on the grill skin side up for 12 minutes. Turn the chicken over and grill skin side down until golden brown, crisp and cooked through (a thermometer should read 180 degrees when inserted in the thickest part of the breast). Serve over a bed of baby arugula (recipe follows) topped with roasted corn and tomato relish (recipe follows). Serve with a loaf of artisan baked bread, sliced watermelon wedges and peach cobbler for dessert.
Roasted Corn and tomato relish: (yields 1 qt.)
2 Cups roasted corn removed from the husk (Method follows)
2 Cups diced tomato
½ Cup fine diced red onion
2 Tablespoon cilantro chopped
¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil
Zest of one lemon
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Zest of one lime
1 Tablespoon lime juice
Kosher salt and white pepper to taste
Combine all of the above ingredients up to four hours in advance. Bring to room temperature for an hour prior to serving. For the roasted corn I like to do this several days in advance, eat some of the corn hot off the grill the night I make it and reserve two to three ears for making this relish later in the week. I soak fresh in the husk corn in tap water for 30 minutes allowing the husks to become soaked. I grill directly over a hot charcoal fire turning the corn every five minute for approximately 30 minutes or until the husk is thoroughly charred. The flavor of the corn is outstanding! Be sure to make plenty as everyone will want more than one ear and there are many uses for the left over’s including the recipe for roasted corn relish above.
Arugula salad tossed with olive oil , orange juice and zest:
1 Gallon baby arugula
¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil
Zest of one orange
¼ Cup fresh orange juice
Kosher salt and white pepper to taste
Toss the arugula in the olive oil, OJ , zest, season to taste with salt and pepper. Place Arugula salad on a decorative platter, as the chicken comes off the grill place on top of the arugula, serve the roasted corn and tomato relish over the chicken for an excellent dinner on the back deck Labor Day weekend.
“It’s graduation season and many people are hosting parties for graduates. Greg Ziegenfuss is the executive chef at Butler’s Pantry, and has some great ideas for you.”
The steps to follow are not unlike the steps a professional follows;
Select a date and make a guest list.
If planning on an out side party make sure you have a rain plan.
If the party will be for an extended period of time be sure to keep food on the buffets at safe temperatures, either hot or cold as necessary.
Decide on a menu, be sure it appeals to all age groups invited
Write a shopping list, be sure to include all beverages, mixers ice etc. Be sure there are sufficient non alcoholic choices to appeal to all age groups. Break the shopping list down into what can be bought in advance and what is better closer to the party.
When planning on what to make ahead keep in mind the amount of refrigeration you have. Don’t hesitate to ask the neighbors to store things in their refrigerator or freezer, just be sure they get an invitation.
Write a prep list, deciding what to do when, and keep to the schedule. Leave as little to do on the day of the party as possible. Be sure to enlist friends and family members who do offer to help.
Consider hiring a college student to help with the food and/or tend bar.
Do not be overly ambitious - keep in mind your limitations be they space, time or culinary ability.
When all else fails do not hesitate to call a professional caterer.
Most importantly enjoy the time with your friends and family!
RECIPES:
Grilled Chicken with Bourbon BBQ Sauce Serves: 8
1 tablespoon kosher salt
¾ cup Hungarian sweet paprika
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon white pepper, ground
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 each 3½ pound fresh bone-in chickens, cut into quarters (save back bones and gizzards for stock)
45 charcoal briquettes
2 cups hickory wood chips, soaked in water one hour and drained
1 charcoal chimney
Bourbon BBQ sauce (see recipe below)
Arrange chicken in single layer on a large baking sheet. Combine first five ingredients in a bowl. Rub generously on chicken. Allow chicken to stand for one hour.
Meanwhile, prepare the BBQ fire using the charcoal chimney and newspaper to light. When coals are white, approximately 30 minutes, spill coals into half the BBQ pit and scatter with the hickory wood chips. Place the chicken skin side down, on the grill rack away from direct heat. Cover the BBQ pit and cook chicken until cooked through turning every ten minues and mopping with the Bourbon BBQ sauce, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Serve hot or warm with additional BBQ sauce on the side.
Bourbon BBQ Sauce Serves: 8
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced ginger root
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups bourbon
2 cups ketchup
Zest of 2 lemons
Zest of 2 oranges
Juice of 2 lemons
2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup Low sodium soy sauce
4 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons Liquid Barbeque Smoke
2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce
In a heavy medium-sized saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high setting and sauté the ginger and garlic to aroma. Add the bourbon; allow to flame and reduce by half. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to boil stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced to 1½ cups, about 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper to taste.
Allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
Yield: 3 cups
Serving Ideas: A perfect sauce for grilled chicken, ribs, pork steaks, etc.
