Ecology Center Event

Turn Kitchen Scraps into Flavorful Feasts — Save Money and Fight Food Waste!

Ready to say goodbye to food waste and hello to tasty savings? Join us for a vibrant new season of the Farm Fresh Cooking to Prevent Food Waste Farmers Market Cooking Series!

Chef Helga Alessio, a StopWaste Environmental Educator Training graduate, is back to share her top tips and tricks for transforming your kitchen scraps into delicious dishes—helping you reduce waste while stretching your grocery budget.

From savvy meal planning and smart shopping to clever cooking techniques and proper food storage, Chef Helga will guide you through everything you need to make healthy eating easier, save time, and extend the life of your food. Plus, learn how your efforts conserve water, energy, and valuable resources along the way.

Register now and get recipes sent to you in advance—perfect for planning your Farmers Market shopping with the freshest seasonal ingredients. Then, bring those recipes home and cook up a storm with the bounty from our vendors!

A big thank you to our partner stopfoodwaste.org, whose generous support makes this inspiring cooking series possible.

Welcome abundance of the Winter with the Farm Fresh Cooking to Prevent Food Waste series, returning this Winter to all three Berkeley Ecology Center Farmers’ Markets—Saturday, Tuesday, and Thursday.!

Led by Chef Helga Alessio, a graduate of StopFoodWaste’s Environmental Educator Training Program, this inspiring series will show you how to turn often-overlooked kitchen scraps into satisfying, seasonal meals. You’ll learn to cook with fall produce that’s at its flavorful peak—sourced directly from local vendors—while reducing food waste and stretching your budget.

Cook Along with Winter’s Finest:

Chef Helga’s demos will include the seasons best including long awaited winter fruits including Kiwi and Citrus.

These cooking demos not only highlight the Winter’s bounty—they offer tangible, waste-reducing strategies that help the environment and your wallet.

What You’ll Learn:

• Smart shopping tips for selecting peak-season produce at the Ecology Center Farmers’ Markets
• Storage hacks to keep your produce fresher, longer
• Scrap‑savvy techniques to turn stems, peels, cores, and trimmings into stocks, pesto’s, sauces, and more
• Eco-impact insights—how reducing food waste conserves water, saves energy, and cuts methane emissions
• Budget‑friendly meals that make every part of your produce count

Your Market Experience Includes:

• Advance recipes, sent to you before the event—perfect for planning your shopping trip
• Live cooking demos and tastings at the market
• Hands-on, practical guidance so you can recreate everything at home
• A community celebration of sustainability, fresh food, and resourceful cooking

Each event is free and open to the public, made possible by the generous support of StopFoodWaste.org. Whether you’re a seasoned home cook or just looking for ways to cut costs and waste, this series will leave you empowered and inspired.

Bring your curiosity, appetite, and reusable bags—Chef Helga will provide the rest. Let’s turn scraps into something special and celebrate the flavors of fall at the Ecology Center Farmers’ Markets.

A big thank you to our Valued Partner