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Betsy Carnie and her kitchen team at the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School turn rescued ingredients into joyful meals — and a lesson in seeing food differently.
A few summers ago, I spent a magical afternoon in Menemsha with Betsy Carnie, Ann Khoan and her husband, Timothy Laursen, shooting a recipe for my cookbook, The Martha’s Vineyard Cookbook. Fried silversides, or “French fries with eyes,” was their genius recipe, netting tiny fish in the shallows before tossing them in potato starch and cornflour and flash frying. Crispy and utterly addicting, they showed us that you don’t need a boat, or even a rod — just a net and a little patience — to scoop up fish that are plentiful in our waters and create something truly delicious with very little.
It was that creative and intentional mindset that drew me back to Betsy. This time, I visited her at the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School, where she is the food services director, as the school was wrapping up for the year. I wanted to learn more from Betsy and her brilliant kitchen team of Ann Khoan and Jenik Munafo Khelalfa about how they approach food waste with a view to the school year ahead.
It was a Friday — “Breakfast for Lunch” day at the school — and the team was transforming rescued food into the day’s offerings. Cronigs, Slough Farm, North Tabor Farm, Island Grown Initiative, caterers, and others donate food, which inspires their weekly menus. “We have these gifts from Cronigs and other partners,” says Betsy. “We take whatever they offer so that we’re not adding more work for them.” A batch of fruit compote made from bruised blackberries was simmering on the stove. There were rescued sausages, sliced in thirds and roasted, and fragrant black locust flowers, foraged on Tashmoo overlook, to flourish over French toast made from stale Pain d’Avignon baguette. Other garnishes come from the school’s food forest, a stone’s throw from the kitchen. “Presentation is important,” says Betsy, as Ann offers a bowl of speckled, soft-boiled quail eggs, gifted from a student’s family farm, as a snack.
“We want to prioritize joy and inspire curiosity,” Betsy affirms. “We don’t see rescuing food as deprivation; we see it as opportunity, creativity, abundance.”
Indeed, sharing that abundance is what drives this kitchen team. “We post an intentionally ambiguous menu at the start of the week,” explains Betsy. “This gives us the freedom to be flexible with ingredients that are shared with us and make it up as we choose.”
According to the USDA, up to 40% of food in the United States is wasted, which is shocking considering the rising cost of groceries, the pressures on farming and fishing, and the challenges climate change poses to our food systems. Date labels on food are a big part of the problem. “Best By” dates reflect not safety, but rather when manufacturers think food is at its best, and the FDA requires the use of expiration dates on only one kind of product — infant formula. Generally, if food looks and smells fine, it’s good to eat. But even so, customers tend to connect dates with food safety, leading retailers to throw away or offload food that is close to those dates, resulting in billions of pounds (and dollars) of waste. The FDA is encouraging the standardization of labeling, asking manufacturers to change the messaging to “Best if Used By” — again, referring to quality and flavor, not safety.
“We are stewards of Mother Earth, and upcycling is just one part of how we intentionally do things,” Betsy says. “We explain where the ingredients come from, their seasonality, their traditions. We teach respect for plants, animals, and the planet. We ask: ‘Were the land and workers cared for?’”
“We don’t have to go along with the way things have always been done. We should think creatively: what could it be?”
Jenik is making another snack: bean dip with leftover pinto beans from Tuesday’s lunch. Every week, they cook nutritious, cost-efficient dried bulk beans and serve them with rice and fixings. The leftover bean dip is popular; recently, a student slipped the kitchen a note: “This bean dip is fire!” In my own kitchen, I pressure-cook dried beans on Sunday nights, making an instant side dish to have on hand for serving with proteins or rice and vegetables throughout the week. Inspired by their resourcefulness, I can’t wait to make my own leftover bean dip.
The trio seeks buy-in from students and teachers and draws inspiration from their different backgrounds and experiences. Betsy was born and raised in New England; Ann hails from multicultural Queens, New York; and Jenik has traveled across South America, Mexico, Spain, France, and Algeria. Jenik loves making fermented foods like kimchi with rescued ingredients. “The ingredients shape our menu, not the other way around,” she says with a smile.
Earlier this winter, Betsy partnered with Stillpoint in West Tisbury to host community suppers, upcycling rescued food into delicious meals shared at communal tables. Betsy’s “use everything” philosophy extends beyond the food she cooks. “We’re proud to use chipped plates and jelly jars with labels on them for glasses as a visual reminder that we’re protecting Mother Earth instead of prioritizing matchy-matchy. We ask the diner to join us in celebrating these upcycled wins, and not feel like you are making do. It’s important to take risks. We can do these things. We can build a better world.”
Now that we’re heading into back-to-school mode, Betsy is sharing some of the kitchen’s favorite upcycled recipes that are a hit with kids and grown-ups.
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Apple Peel Snacks
Description
Betsy discovered a spiral apple peeler at the Dumptique, and these crispy fruit snacks were born. Once you start, you can’t stop snacking on them.
Instructions
- Use a spiral apple peeler or spiralizer to peel the apples. Don’t have a peeler? No problem! You can use a vegetable peeler, then slice the peel into thin strips.
- Toss the apple peels in a little sugar and cinnamon.
- Spread the peels out in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Place in the oven overnight with the pilot light on for the peel to dry out and turn crispy. You can also use a dehydrator, or bake in a 225°F degree oven for about 2 1/2 hours until dry. Store leftovers in an airtight container so they stay crisp.
French Toast
- Yield: Serves 3–5 1x
Description
Almost any leftover bread can be turned into French toast. Baguette goes stale quickly, so an overnight soak helps create the perfect combination of golden on the outside, soft and custardy on the inside. Plus, it gives you more time in the morning! Betsy adds a secret ingredient to her French toast to give it a homemade donut flavor — freshly grated nutmeg. Serve with Any-Fruit Compote (see below), syrup, or your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
- 1 leftover, stale baguette
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup half-and-half
- Fresh nutmeg
- Butter to coat the pan
Instructions
- Slice your stale bread into slices, about 1- to 1 1/2-inches thick.
- Mix together the eggs, half-and-half, and a good grating of fresh nutmeg. Soak the bread slices in the custard overnight in the refrigerator.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat. Melt a small amount of butter just to coat the pan. Cook as many slices as you can fit into the pan without overcrowding, about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Adjust the heat to medium-low if needed so the bread doesn’t burn.
- Leftover French toast can be revived in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.
Any-Fruit Compote
Description
The Charter School kitchen team regularly makes compote with rescued fruit to serve over yogurt or French toast. It’s a fantastic way to use up fruit that has seen better days.
Instructions
- Place the fruit in a small pan or pot over medium heat with a few splashes of water. (Small fruit like berries can go in whole, but if the fruit is larger, like peaches, chop into bite-size pieces.) Cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes until the fruit softens.
- Use a masher or fork to break the fruit down and help it cook faster. You can keep the compote chunky or keep mashing for a smoother consistency. Add a squeeze of lemon for a pop of acidity and to balance the sweetness. Store covered in the refrigerator.
