Nine-billion microorganisms
One-third of household trash in the U.S. is food waste. A misnomer, "food waste" can be one of the best flavor agents for seasoning food. Unassuming kitchen scraps such as carrot peelings, celery leaves, corn cobs and apple cores not only make a delicious soup stock -- by becoming compost -- they fuel a "biological soil orgy, recycling the dead back into a new life," writes author David Montgomery in "Dirt -- The Erosion of Civilizations."

Nine billion microorganisms can fill a tablespoon of healthy soil, and an acre is reported to contain 900 pounds of earthworms, 2,400 pounds of fungi, 890 pounds of arthropods and algae, 1,500 pounds of bacteria and 133 pounds of protozoa! These "soil bugs" are the most important contributor to good soil -- and good soil is vital to deliciously complex, nutritious foods.

Unused food scraps not only have wasted flavor potential, they outgas methane gas and contribute to global warming. Considering its abundance, methane, a greenhouse gas 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide, could better serve as valuable fuel source. Landfills in the United States actually release more methane than U.S. livestock do. But if food waste does not reach permanent storage (where methane capture is required by law) within 100 days, most of the gas has been released, turning a potentially useful waste product into an environmentally destructive agent.

From scraps to seasoning
Putting food scraps to work as seasoning agents is a two-step process. First, make a soup stock (a cook's best friend) by combining ingredients such as those mentioned above with cauliflower leaves, pepper "skeletons," mushroom stems, herbs, etc. Fill a stockpot half with vegetables and half with water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Then drain the stock for later use, and relocate the scraps to a household or municipal compost. Remember, healthy soil teems with microorganisms. And microorganisms, well fed on food scraps, turn our soil into a fine "bordelaise sauce" for growing food that is high-flavor and high-vibe!

Though it is common to hear that, "healthful eating for people and planet costs too much money," and that, "it's an activity reserved for rich folks," nothing could be further from the truth. Utilizing food scraps is a superb example of this. Making stocks not only saves us money, but participation is free. It doesn't cost a cent to parent the planet this way, and doing so offers still another payback: pure, unexpected, soulful satisfaction. This "ethicurial" action is a total win-win. Go ahead, be a hero for a day, a month, or a lifetime. You'll help create a cleaner, healthier and more beautiful planet for our children, and your food will taste so much better for it.