Any way you slice it or dice it, food is food, says Leann Edwards, Project Green Fork program director. “It’s meant to feed people. If it doesn’t feed people, then it has other purposes. It feeds animals; it feeds the soil to grow more food. And so seeing food as valuable, in all of its forms, is part of what we’re trying to do through Project Green Fork (PGF).”
This weekend’s fundraising event is one such example of that effort as some of the city’s most innovative chefs try their hand at creating hors d’oeuvres using surplus ingredients from the Mid-South Food Bank, Cordelia’s Market, and Alpha Omega Veteran Services. They’ll transform what could have gone to waste into beautiful and tasty dishes for guests to try. It’s a chance for these tatemakers to flex their creativity but also to showcase sustainability efforts.
“One thing that Project Green Fork does is, we work to rescue food surplus, generally prepared food from restaurants and special events catering,” Edwards says. “We take that rescued food through our network of rescue organizations and turn it into something beautiful for people who experience food insecurity in our city. And so Reharvest is a way for us to show people in the community that food that’s appropriate for donation is also food that’s appropriate for us to share and enjoy.”
The chefs participating in this year’s Reharvest are Dave Krog (formerly of Dory), Terrance Whitley (Inspire Community Cafe), Daishu McGriff (Shroomlicious Meals), Monique Williams (Biscuits & Jams), Josh Mutchnick (JEM Dining), and Kat Gordon (Muddy’s Bake Shop). All of the chefs are PGF-certified, meaning they have been trained in PGF’s sustainability practices.
In addition to the one-of-a-kind fare made by these chefs, attendees will receive complimentary beer, wine, a signature cocktail, and a mocktail. B. Sartain will also be doing live art, and that piece of art will be sold in a silent action. This is PGF’s largest fundraiser of the year, Edwards says.
“We have a goal of 50 percent reduction in food waste by 2030 and we’re not close,” she adds. “We’re working on it. But it can feel daunting. But then you remember, every bit of progress is progress, and every time someone makes the connection between saving their food and the community and saving money for themselves and saving the environment, it really feels like a win.”
That’s one of the goals of this event — to make that connection for people — and get just a little bit closer to that 50 percent reduction. Tickets can be purchased at tinyurl.com/2uu5jcy6.
Reharvest Memphis, Collage Dance Center, 505 Tillman Street, Thursday, November 14, 5:30-8:30 p.m., $79.57, 21+.
