Remarkable solar cookers will harness the sun for a zero-waste feast at Off the Grid, the third annual festival of art, music and talks dedicated to sustainable cities. The event will take place on December 22, at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art in Melbourne - so let's hope the weather behaves accordingly.
Self-taught fermentation guru Adam James - of Hobart-based outfit Rough Rice (which regularly pops up around Tassie and at MONA’s festivals) - will oversee a bank of the satellite-dish-like cookers at the festival.
“We’re not relying on gas or electricity,” says James. “Even with charcoal and open fires and that kind of thing, you are using resources, so to be able to draw energy direct from the sun and then still go through that transition of turning a raw ingredient into something cooked is actually amazing.”
James, who was introduced to the innovative method by Off the Grid co-founder Rod Harding, has had fun experimenting with the technology. “I started off by frying an egg,” he says. “Within a couple of minutes, I had sizzling oil, cracked the egg in and it cooked in absolutely no time, so there’s certainly a lot of heat being generated.”
Adam James will be using solar-powered cookers at Off The Grid. Source: Off The Grid
From there, James played with sautéing onions, braising kale and leek, and even boiling rice. He’s currently in conversation with organic farmers based in Victoria's Yarra Valley about what produce is likely to be available when the festival is on.
In keeping with the festival’s zero-waste policy (which sees bars and stages powered by solar panels with battery storage), James will serve all dishes in lettuce or mustard leaves, in the style of sang choy bow.
To be able to draw energy direct from the sun and then still go through that transition of turning a raw ingredient into something cooked is actually amazing.
He’s also planning to pack a few of his own vegetable ferments. “I can use the ferment in interesting ways, depending [on] whether things are going to be more raw or whether the sun is out and we can actually get the woks going,” James adds. “I really want to go in very vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free.”
James’s passion for fermenting was sparked in Kyoto five years ago when, in a sake bar, he was served a piece of plain tofu with a tiny dollop of red chill-based kanzuri paste. “The flavour was absolutely incredible and, as soon as I got home, I decided I had to try and replicate it, and I’m still trying. It’s going to be a lifelong quest, I think.”
He’s recently returned from a two-month research trip, funded by the Churchill Fellowship, that stretched from Copenhagen (and the labs of the city's contemporary restaurants, such as Amass and Relae) to Italy, Korea, China and Japan (where he learnt about each country's time-honoured traditions).
Highlights included exploring the origins of sushi around Lake Biwa, north of Kyoto, learning how to make culatello in Emilia-Romagna and colatura di alici, the “oldest condiment in the world,” in Cetara, a fishing village on the Amalfi Coast.
Meeting Korean nun Jeong Kwan was life-changing. ‘”She has about sixty different crockpots full of stuff, like a ten-year-old soy sauce, a five-year-plus kimchi and all these vegetables which she ferments in different ways. It’s an incredible alchemy watching her at work.”
He hopes to bring some of the flavour sensations he’s experienced to Off the Grid, where he will collaborate with Paul Mattei of organic, sustainable event company Fresh Fork Catering.
“I have a passion for plant-based foods so, if I can cater to everyone and in the process show them that plant-based foods can be amazing and really nutritious, I am happy,” says Mattei, who has been a vegan for 22 years.
Off The Grid is a festival celebrating sustainability. Source: Off The Grid
“The psychology of food is huge and I can only hope that one day people become aware of how the foods they consume impact their quality and longevity of life and, importantly, take responsibility for that.”
If you’re planning on trying out solar cooking at home, James has a big safety tip. “I actually singed my pants a little bit without realising how strong [the cookers] were. I just got a whiff of something burning and my pants were extremely hot to touch. You should definitely wear sunglasses and non-flammable clothing.”
James is excited about the prospect of cooking for a festival crowd in such a unique fashion. “I need to think practically and strategically about 'what do I do?' if the sun is not out and have a bit of a back-up plan, but that’s a challenge I’m really happy to embrace because Off the Grid is a really good cause, there are going to be some incredible people there and it will be a great party.”
Off the Grid will be held on Friday December 22, at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, 111 Sturt Street, Southbank. For more info or to book tickets, go to www.offthegrid.global.
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