- On today's Fit to Eat, I'll prepare a vegan grilled vegetable platter, with fresh herb tomato bolognese, and almond cranberry cashew bites.

Our guest is Matt Casteel, owner of Wurmworks Farm.

Registered dietician, Rebecca Turner, has some tips on how to make your own vegetable broth.

And we'll take a trip to Wurmworks, to learn more about what we can do with our own food waste.

It's gonna be a great show, so stay tuned.

(light music) (light music continues) Welcome back to Fit to Eat.

I'm your host Rob Stinson.

Today's guest is the owner of Wurmworks Farm, Matt Casteel, come on in.

- Pleasure to see you.

Thanks for having me.

- Absolutely, man, I'm really looking forward to this.

So come on over here so we can talk a little bit about what we're gonna do.

This should be right up your field here, 'cause it's gonna be a lot of vegetables.

This is a vegan dish that we're doing.

So we're gonna grill some beautiful zucchini squash, eggplant, some red bell pepper and onion, and make a really kind of nice healthy base.

Then we're gonna take and make a vegan bolognese and what's a bolognese?

A bolognese in Italy is a meat sauce.

It's a tomato meat sauce.

So we're gonna use an alternative so a vegan meat, and that's gonna be a real kind of thrill.

Then we're gonna end it with a little sweet note.

We'll get into all that.

But to start off with, I'm gonna just take and actually do a little bit of knife show and I'm gonna make some red bell pepper rings, as I call 'em , two of them and just have, and you know, what's gonna be ironic in this one, Matt?

- [Matt] What's that?

- I've got a portion here that I'm not going to use.

And I have a feeling I know where this can go.

- I got millions of hungry worms.

- [Rob] I really, really have got to hear more about that.

All right.

So let's put these over here.

Now the tricky part, this is the one that scares some people and we're gonna, again, have even more for you.

Might as well give it to you as we go.

But I cut a flat part off, and then I'll take and slice a little piece off the side and then just a nice, simple down stroke with the knife and trying to make sure that you keep it straight down and we've got two beautiful slices.

So we're gonna put that on our variety.

I can't throw all that away.

I can't no, wait, I'm not throwing it away.

Let me correct myself, but we're gonna say-- oh, what the heck?

Come on, let the worms eat.

- Shoot, yeah!

- Let the worms eat.

All right.

So now we move to phase two which is zero fat spray doing it away from the heat, and the heat on that pan is already started.

Now we need to make the seasoning that's gonna go on these, and this is quick.

I've done this one quite a few.

You can move over here.

So we've got garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, black pepper, and paprika.

All salt free.

So nothing here has ever had salt in it in all the nine years of us cooking here with Fit to Eat.

And it's really all kind of in the vein of trying to make sure that we stay healthy.

So now, as we are putting these in the pan, I'm just gonna sprinkle.

This is not to overpower them in any way, shape, or form.

First ones that go in are the onions, 'cause they take the longest.

We're gonna put a half a teaspoon of oil, very, very light canola oil and put the onions down with that seasoning and then throw in our squash.

We've got that ready.

Now let's season the eggplant a little bit more, and you can do both sides of these.

You don't actually have to.

And as we put this over here, we're gonna move 'em all around and then we've got our zucchini strips, and we're gonna really make full use of the pan.

So once these are in and, and these when we turn everything over, those will actually get cooked as well.

It's really time to kind of sit down and, Matt, I really wanna understand how you got started with Wurmworks 'cause I mean, I think it's an intriguing story.

- Look, I worked 10 years in the food system.

I was on a little bit of different space though.

I was a humanitarian working on getting meals in crisis and disaster response spaces.

Instead I decided to focus a little bit more here in my own community.

I wanted to look at micro systems.

I wanted to look at things that are hyper local.

And so when I looked here in Jackson, no one was doing anything with waste.

So here we are.

I decided, hey, let's do something about that.

Let's fill that and close that loop between, hey, we're cooking some great, beautiful food here, but we also have - [Rob] Right.

- Some waste.

What do we do with that?

- Let me tell you being in the restaurant business and owning several, I know how much it goes into and sometimes we'll use it for stock.

And sometimes we don't, you know, I mean just being candid, and now that there's an alternative, what an improvement that really is.

What an incredible thing.

So talk a little bit more about it in specifics when you really look at it.

- Sure.

At Wurmworks, what we like to do is provide that opportunity to say, hey, we have this resource, this beautiful resource.

If it was a plant or it was an animal, it can be composted.

We stick to plants and that's why these kitchen scraps are so great.

We utilize worms to compost those scraps.

And what happens is this beautiful thing that's a lot like cooking.

- And how is that so?

- So -- - Kinda go into.

- There's specific temperatures, there's specific moisture.

There are specific recipes for whether you're doing cold worm composting or hot thermal composting.

It's a little bit different, but it's all like putting together a beautiful meal.

- [Rob] How cool!

You know, I mean, honestly that tie-in, you can see how beautiful that eggplant has come already.

- [Matt] True.

- [Rob] That tie-in is something I never would've dreamed exists.

- Sure.

- You know, and being, and I mean I've spent 40 years plus in the food business, this cycle, this, this kind of cycle that you described, boy, it sounds like it's something that's been needed for a long time.

- Well, it's incredible.

We spend so much money on transportation costs.

We spend so much money on land filling waste.

Instead we should be utilizing that waste because its value is exponential.

It's something that we can turn into worm food, but then once it's worm food and the worms have processed it, it's now food for plants.

So now we get to grow more beautiful squash, more beautiful zucchini, and more beautiful bell pepper.

- And end up with a better product.

- That's right.

- Yeah, I mean that is absolutely kind of incredible.

You can see, all I'm really doing just for those of you out there, and this one takes a little bit of work, is moving everything around in the pan so that every part, but you want it, you see that?

You don't want to overcook it.

So we're not going to end up with it getting to be mush.

And I think it's really important to say that because it's so simple to overcook vegetables, and you've lost the whole beauty of them.

So at this point, I'm gonna actually turn the heat down on this and kind of let them kind of do their own thing.

Those bell peppers are underneath.

Onions I love when they're crunchy, you know?

- [Matt] Me too.

- And I mean think about this, so we've cut what one, two, three, four, five different vegetables.

Guaranteed you'd have a full bucket.

- That's right.

- For somebody and I think that's just an incredible, like benefit of what you're doing.

- [Matt] Sure.

- [Rob] Yeah.

- It's an ecosystem, right?

It's a we're interdependent.

We utilize each other in different ways.

Our skill sets are different.

Our markets are different, but we're all interconnected by that loop, right?

Creation, production, preparation, waste, going back, all back into production.

- Right.

And think about if people at home could take advantage of that, what a difference it would make.

So listen, there is no way everybody is gonna remember all of the ingredients that we do in this.

So you can go to MPBonline.org/fittoeat to find the full recipe for everything you see here, as well as more information on what we've been talking about today.

So this has still got a little bit of time.

And the beauty of this, if you're at home, you can do this and kind of set it and forget it, you know?

And in that sense, I mean, leave it warm in the pan and then look how pretty that -- look how pretty all of that -- - [Matt] Caramelization.

Beautiful.

- And that is really what you're looking for.

You want that kind of searing and that mild seasoning now, because when we get to putting together the vegan bolognese sauce, let me tell you, that's just not your norm.

You know, everybody can make a tomato sauce and people hear the word meat sauce, but in Italy they call it a bolognese.

So it's kind of like a light marinara that would have normally veal, beef, and pork or any, any one of those items.

So in this case it's gonna have a vegan product.

So I think it's really gonna be neat and all fresh ingredients again, that there would be trimmings, waste, so -- - Perfect.

- All right.

Well, listen, we're at a point right now where we are going to take a short break and visit Wurmworks Farm in Jackson, where Matt Casteel will tell us a little bit more about his vermicomposting business and how a little creative problem-solving can go a long way.

Take a look.

(light music) - We all create waste.

When you throw an apple core in the trash, when you throw the banana peel in your plastic garbage bag, that's wasted energy.

What if we all had the tools and the knowledge to turn that waste into more food?

(light music) My name's Matt Casteel.

I am a micro livestock farmer, healthy soil advocate, and owner of a small business right here in Jackson, Mississippi.

Wurmworks is a vermicomposting business focused on reducing waste, diverting it from the landfill, and letting our beautiful worms compost it into healthy, all natural plant food.

(light music) Worms break down waste.

They typically live in that decomposing layer of, you know, leaves and sticks and bark and that kind of stuff.

So we recreate that here with waste products, whether it's cardboard, wood chips, pine straw, leaves, all kinds of different things.

And as food waste goes through them, they turn it into something completely beneficial.

That's soil.

And at the same time, that's something that very beneficial goes into growing more nutritious food.

If your food waste goes to a landfill, it decomposes improperly because it doesn't have access to oxygen.

When you have oxygen, you can create a positive decomposition experience, whereas in a landfill, you're emitting that methane that's gonna increase our climate change at a rapid rate.

Right now we have a climate crisis.

We have a food insecurity crisis.

So in my mind, it seems like a no-brainer to tackle both of those things at once.

What we're here to tell people is diversity in our soil is what's gonna suppress disease, suppress pests, create healthier, more nutritious food for us.

So we do it not only to reduce waste in our community, in our landfills, and quit the methane-heavy emission that comes from that, but we're also turning that into a beneficial ingredient to healthy, productive, and a natural way to feed our plants.

When it comes to our food, the most core element of what is keeping us healthy is soil health.

When you have healthy soils, you have healthy food, and you have healthy communities if you have access.

We've really damaged these these grounds a lot.

And so helping urban farmers come in and change the soil profile, that's transformative.

Healthy soil equals healthy people.

So, you know, worms, it's no wiggle about it.

It's, it's a real deal solution.

(light music ends) - Welcome back to Fit to Eat.

If you're just joining us, I'm here with Matt Casteel, and we're right in the middle of preparing today's recipe.

All right.

So, Matt, come on over here and take a look.

So what we have onion, garlic, some fresh Valaroso tomatoes, our vegan beef, okay?

And there's a lot of different products out there.

Some fresh oregano.

I'm gonna show 'em how to cut up some basil.

Tomato paste.

So we're gonna kind of throw this one together.

We're gonna do a little zero fat spray of our pan.

And then again, just like we did about a half a teaspoon of actual oil, 'cause on this one, I want to get the garlic in first and brown and the onions.

And we're gonna turn that up on.

And now the very first thing, and you see that pan is starting to bubble already, that we're gonna do is put our meat in there with it, 'cause we're gonna break it apart.

Just like you would be doing a meat sauce at home.

So kind of the same idea.

So we'll set that on top and then a little bit of fresh oregano that I've ground up.

And over on this side, we're gonna move these to the side so I can actually show folks something how simple it is.

So we got some beautiful, fresh basil.

I know you're familiar with fresh herbs.

- You know it.

- All right.

So the trick and a lot of people get scared is I've rolled them up.

If you see, I just rolled, I put all the leaves in a line and rolled them up, and then just simple, almost like what I call basil ribbons and, well, some for the bucket.

- [Matt] Okay.

- Some for the bucket.

All right.

And then this way and just a couple cuts.

So now you've got beautiful, fresh minced basil going in there.

- Wow, the smell.

- I know, I know.

And it's just nothing like fresh herbs.

All right, now we're gonna kind of break that meat patty apart.

(pan sizzles) And the beauty of this is this is gonna stay on the bottom of the pan.

I don't turn it.

Now we're gonna add on top our fresh tomatoes, and just moving those around is simple.

(pan sizzles) And then a little spoonful of fresh tomato paste.

This is just a natural product.

Deepens the color of the sauce.

That's all it does.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Got a little bit extra.

- Beautiful.

- Yep, I tell you what, we'll save it all.

And now moving this around in the pan, all we've got left, we're gonna deglaze it with white wine a little bit and then some stock.

But this is a great time for me to ask you, okay, Wurmworks.

Talk about how that started 'cause that's, that's the mystery to me.

- Sure.

Wurmworks, you know, and I told you before, I really wanted to focus on my own community and in Jackson, as most of you know, it sits on the top of the list of food insecurity and food access, right?

What I wanted to do is explore the food system a little bit more, get onto the wayside, and you know, here in Jackson, we also have a really high rate of food waste.

So a lot of people don't realize that's such a big issue, and everyone wastes.

- [Rob] Yeah.

- So we have to do something about the back end of that.

- Yeah, I mean, I can only imagine when you really look at it and you're in a meeting town like Jackson people coming and going, food preparation, people living in an urban environment, all of that goes toward -- Right now we're ready to deglaze this pan.

Deglaze the big word for just getting all the seasoning off and that'll cook off of course.

But, yeah, and I noticed something.

All right, open your shirt a little bit there.

All right.

Get a clew.

All right, come on.

You gotta explain it.

- Sure.

The folks that collect their kitchen scraps at home or businesses work with us, they're part of our clew crew, and clew comes from Greek mythology when Theseus was lost in a labyrinth, actually he used a ball of yarn which is also called a clew to help him get through that labyrinth without getting lost completely.

So when worms get scared or they're in bad environments, they get together.

- [Rob] God, really?

- And they look like a ball of yarn, so that's where clew comes from.

- Wow!

You know, I mean, yeah, but that's really cool 'cause it's both realistic, useful, and my God, I mean I love, I love mythology.

I mean, I've always been -- but I mean more importantly, that whole idea of utilizing the worms, you know, and bringing that into the name of your business Wurmworks.

I mean, as soon as I saw it the first time, I really was looking forward to talking to you more about it and, and having a clue.

(laughs) - Sure.

- And I guess we've opened a new can of worms.

(laughs) Oh, oh, oh, all right.

(mimics rim shot) - All right.

Again, again guys, nobody will remember all of the ingredients that are in this.

So go to MPBonline.org/fittoeat to find the full recipe for everything you see here, as well as all the information we're talking about.

I mean, incredible.

And I tell you what, tell me that does not look like a normal meat sauce.

- [Matt] Ah, it's beautiful.

- So we talk on this show about eat this, not that.

So the idea of this is that you don't have some fat-laden beef, and for the vegan, the person who really wants to experience great tasting food without having anything except vegetables, this is perfect.

- [Matt] Right.

- And I mean, look at the beau-- You know, we have a huge variety.

We've got a little fun, sweet treat that we're gonna end the meal with.

But you know, it looks like this is about the right time.

So we are going to take a quick break and check in with registered dietician, Rebecca Turner.

She's gonna show you how you can make your very own vegetable broth at home.

It's easy, healthy, and delicious.

Check it out.

(light music) - I bet you use vegetable broth in a lot of recipes.

I do, too.

You probably use store-bought broth, and that's okay.

I do, too.

But I want to teach you how to make your own vegetable broth because it's so, so easy.

And you know what else?

It tastes so much better and it's better for you.

Now, unlike homemade meat -based broths, there's no skimming off the fat, and you don't need to keep the pot on the stove for hours either, but it does require a little bit of advanced planning.

It also requires three cardinal things: onions, celery, and carrots.

That's your starting point.

But from there you can tailor your broth to what you're going to be using it for.

Now my favorite is to add sprigs of thyme and parsley to make a cooking liquid for rice and other grains.

Now back to advanced planning, you can buy whatever you want for your broth and chop it all up and throw it in your stock pot.

But if you cook with vegetables regularly and you like to save a little money, then utilize all those perfectly good veggie scraps.

I want you to collect clean but leftover onions, carrots, celery, garlic cloves, mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini, and yellow squash ends.

When you have about a few cups worth, then make a fresh batch of broth.

The only veggies you want to stay away from are gonna be cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts.

They can leave behind a little bit of a bitter flavor in your broth.

Now, once you have your scraps and your herbs, get out your pot.

I like to heat about a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat, and then cook down some fresh garlic, onions, carrots, and celery.

While that is cooking, just chop up all the vegetables, and then add them to your pot.

You're gonna cover with about two quarts of water, and just bring it to a simmer.

Let it simmer on the stove for about an hour, and you'll strain it, and you'll store it.

You can store your homemade vegetable broth in mason jars, or freeze it in two cup servings to use whenever you need it.

Now remember there is no shame in store-bought broth, but if you're eating vegetables anyway, store those scraps in your freezer for a homemade broth that is fit to eat.

- Welcome back to Fit to Eat.

I'm here with Matt Casteel from Wurmworks Farm.

We're almost done today.

So all right, you ready?

One last quick fun dish.

So this just a spray, no oil at all, and this is kind of the sweet treat if you would.

You're gonna enjoy this one.

I know you're gonna be sampling this later.

So these are just simple toasted almonds, some ground cashews, and some cranberries that have been candied.

And this is kind of a sugar-free version that I use.

So it's really very light.

And the only reason we're even putting them in the pan is literally just to give them a little bit of heat.

And then the fun part of this, I'm gonna put a little bit of water, and that's it.

That's all we're looking to do, 'cause what's gonna go in next is not hot.

So now we've got 'em in the pan.

I mean, in the bowl.

And we're adding a little natural unsweetened apple sauce and some good local honey.

And I tell you what.

Good local honey can really help people with allergies.

And this is gonna be one of those years.

So anyhow, all right.

So we gotta make sure everybody knows several things, how they can find you.

I'm gonna move the plate up here, 'cause bottom line, all we're gonna end up doing while you're telling me.

So talk about how we can find you, and what services you really are providing to the community.

- Sure.

I do wanna mention the great Jackson small businesses.

All of these folks band together to be part of a movement that is diverting over 20 tons of food waste.

- [Rob] Wait a minute.

- [Matt] A year.

- 20 tons?

Guys!

- 20 Tons.

You can visit us at wurmworks.com, and that's worm with a U 'cause it's all about you.

(laughs) - [Rob] I love it.

- And you can also become a part of our clew crew if you're an individual household or you're a small business so-- - Talk about, talk about-- We've got a little time.

Talk a little bit about that.

What do you mean by becoming a clew crew?

- Sure.

If you're part of our clew crew, you're part of our kitchen scrap collection.

What you do is you can be a person who gets all of your kitchen scraps, puts it in the bucket, and feeds the worms.

- [Rob] Wow!

Wow!

So those, those little guys, they do all the work behind the scenes and we haven't really given them a lot of credit, but my God it's incredible.

The whole system.

And I always come back to this belief and realization.

It's a cycle.

It is really in this beautiful urban cycle that I see in Jackson, I think is amazing, utterly amazing.

You know, I mean it just really brings everything home.

And I tell you what, take a look at how cool this is coming out.

So now we got the little bites and now what do I love to do?

Take some beautiful, fresh basil as the final garnish there.

For a person who really doesn't want to have anything and is a vegan or someone like myself where I'm not a strict vegan, but I love to eat something this healthy, that dish has got all the full flavors of eating an Italian meat sauce, no real heavy protein, except for beautiful grilled vegetables, and that fresh little kind of honey, cashew, cranberry, all that flavor that sweetens it at the end.

And literally all of that could take place with this ecosystem that you've designed.

I mean, I think it's fantastic, you know, I really do.

But I think we're actually out of time.

I think everything turned out great.

And I want to thank Matt Casteel for joining us today.

And if you wanna learn more about anything you've seen in this episode, then head on over to MPBonline.org/fittoeat and don't forget to follow and like our Facebook page.

Until next time, I'm your host, Rob Stinson, eat well.

(light music) (light music continues) (light music ends)