How the chef-owners of Persepshen celebrate Earth Day all year long: 'It's how we live'
Earth Day may be officially recognized on April 22. However, for Jason and Katherine Dwight, the husband-and-wife team behind central Phoenix restaurant Persepshen, being globally-aware is a year-round undertaking.
When they launched their earth-centric establishment in 2019, executive chef Jason and executive pastry chef Katherine did so with an emphasis on scratch-made dishes crafted from high-quality, sustainable ingredients from local, organic farmers.
Jason explained that the name of the restaurant itself is inspired by how he and his wife hope to shape guest's perceptions about what it means to eat locally and seasonally.
Their green practices range from using every piece of the animal, fruit and vegetable to the eco-friendly cleaning products and serving ware they use.
Here, Dwight shares what being an earth-friendly chef means to them and the absolute easiest way to be earth-first in your home kitchen.
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How were you introduced to the concepts of sustainability in the kitchen?
Our families were farmers, gardeners and cattle drivers in an era when you had to use every part of everything in order to survive, so maybe it's just in our blood.
Sustainability is our life choice. It's how we live our life to promote the longevity of our family and our planet. We take many measures in our home to live this way, so for us, it is only natural that our business takes the same measures.
What are some of the daily practices you’ve implemented so your restaurant operates as sustainably as possible?
For several years, we composted our food scraps. We spend countless hours researching the best eco-friendly, plant-based cleaning products that we utilize in our restaurant. We use all biodegradable, compostable to-go boxes and straws made from plants.
Our menu changes every Friday because of our sustainable efforts, practices that have unfortunately almost been forgotten. One of those is utilizing the whole animal, which means we bring in the entire steer and go cut-by-cut on the menu. For example, there are only 14 ribs on a steer, so when the tomahawks are gone, the menu changes. There are only two tenderloins per steer. When the 12-14 portions of filet are enjoyed, the menu changes. We carry on with this process until the entire animal is utilized. Then we break down our next steer and start over, all the while pairing each cut with whatever vegetables our local farmers are growing in that season. Not only is this a more sustainable way to cook, but it also allows us the opportunity to continually be creative.
What unique methods do you employ to allow you to use every part of an animal or vegetable and minimize food waste?
After breaking down an animal into its cuts, we roast the bones and make a stock. We then further reduce it into a demi-glace, which will be used on some of the dishes that week.
When we receive ducks from a local ranch, we cure, confit and make rillettes from the neck. This is a painstaking process that produces an extremely enjoyable item that might otherwise have been thrown into the trash. We also love turning the duck hearts into a velvety, luxurious paté that has even converted non-offal lovers.
During bountiful seasons, we pickle, jam and preserve thousands of pounds of locally harvested fruits and vegetables. During pie season, we have turned hundreds of pounds of apple cores, that some would typically throw away, into a wonderful apple butter.
What's the easiest, yet most effective way people can practice sustainability in their home kitchens?
Eat local meat and vegetables. That is the easiest way. Avoid conventional commodity farms. Not only will it be sustainable, but it will be much more nutrient dense and flavorful.
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Visit Persepshen restaurant in Phoenix
Celebrate Earth Day with an environmentally conscious meal at Persepshen.
Hours: Thursday through Sunday, 4:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Details: 4700 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. 602-935-2932, persepshenarizona.com.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Earth Day 2023: This Phoenix restaurant honors Arizona's bounty
