April 21st, 2023Hi friends,

Praising the power of TikTok in getting another sold out Scrap Supper on the books. I am eternally grateful for y’all showing up to this space and supporting a queer, Jewish chef in their fervent food dreams. It means the world. And really, what better way to celebrate Earth Day than five innovative plant-based, low waste courses with no take away containers? (You won’t need one, I swear.)

 This dinner is in partnership with my dear friend, Ash Glover-Ganapathiraju, founder of regenerative pantry brand, Ojaswe. In a crossover of culture and flavor our menu is an exploration of what sustainable eating looks like in 2023. How our collective backgrounds and experience can inform contemporary traditions and evolve our palates. As food systems must shift to address pressing climate concerns, we can look to friends and co-collaborators to inform our kitchen practices. An inspired array of spices or preparation techniques can transform ingredients thought otherwise unusable. New flavors can spark innovation in your dinner rotation and new additions to otherwise rote plates. (I’ve been particularly excited to use carrot tops again after just one-too many stir fries…)

 Not to say this is new information–just renewed intention. So often we are caught in the mundane eternity of what’s for dinner. But food made in community, or in collaboration is more than fuel. It’s a try for the future. And that, is undoubtedly, a worthwhile dish.

 If I don’t see you this weekend, I’m sending pop-up power your way.

Stay hungry,Hawnuh Lee | Founder, Closed Loop Cooking

Behind the scenes at Scrap Supper, Winter Waters Edition. // @greyfort!

The dish >>

• Playing with herb scraps chimichurri this weekend. A favorite fridge-door condiment and an absolute color vibe.

• On that note, green is my (first) favorite color.

• Appreciating David Zilber’s latest ferm farm roundup.

• Cherry Bombe is hiring 👀

• Checking out the best food podcast recs from BA.

• Book marking this History of Food Access on May 6th. 

• Secretly sustainable things from a Turkish great-aunt.

• A million flowers for #RalphYarl. <3

Regenerative roots + cultural fusion with Ash Glover-Ganapathiraju

This week, we’re welcoming our friend, collaborator, and entrepreneurial badass, Ash Glover-Ganapathiraju, to talk about her latest venture, Ojaswe, and its delicious first product, the Chickpea Chilla Pancake Mix. Businesses whose actions actually align with the sustainability values they tout are few and far between in this green washed late-stage capitalist world. But Ash has created a regenerative food company that is tangibly moving us toward a more just and sustainable food system — and she’s only just getting started.

Tell us about what Ojaswe is and why you wanted to launch this business.

Ojaswe is a regenerative food company rooted in cultural fusion. We are on a mission to create climate-resilient food systems and make nutritious, biodiverse food accessible to everyone. We’re specifically focused on heirloom legumes and small grains that have disappeared from mainstream foodways. Right now we do this through vegan and gluten free products, and virtual and in-person experiences.

Back in March 2022, I launched Ojaswe with the intention of finding ways to bring nuance to polarized discussions around food, especially when it comes to climate-action. One year in, our north star hasn’t changed — we’re still focused on connecting people with food that nourishes both us and our planet. But what has changed is the ways  we show up in the world — we’ve grown to live at the intersection of climate-conscious eating, cultural fusion and rootedness, and inclusive food, which to me means food that allows everyone to have a seat at the table (hence the focus on vegan and gluten free).

What does it mean to you to be a regenerative food company?

Regenerative agriculture is a buzzy word right now, but really it’s a new phrase for a very old set of practices: cover cropping, low / no tilling, animal integration, equitable treatment of farmworkers, etc. All of which have been followed by land stewards and Indigenous folks all over the world for centuries.

Being regenerative is the opposite of being extractive. It is a way of working with our planet and the soil, rather than against it. To me, being a regenerative food company means working in ways that acknowledge and honor these traditions and the ecosystems that we inhabit.

To paraphrase Bioneers (an incredible organization working on holistic approaches to environmental and bio-cultural challenges), being a regenerative organization means that we are open to evolving and adapting, and to learning and improving not just ourselves, but the ecosystem in which we operate.

The way that takes form for us is not focusing on profit at the expense of all else. For example,  we use compostable or recyclable packaging even when these options are 10x the cost of petroleum based plastics. And we are all about collaboration over competition — we’re team “grow the pie (chilla?)” vs. “grab a share of the pie”.  

What’s your current favorite way to prepare your chilla pancakes?

My favorite is adding all my leftover veggies to the batter (delish and low waste win!) Most frequent though is just the original — throw it together on a pan and pair with whatever is available.

Do you have a dream product you want Ojaswe to offer one day?

I don’t know that I have one dream product for Ojaswe to offer. Conceptually though, my dream would be to do a whole series of heirloom grain and legume-based products that are fully traceable to source, and that showcase the amazing work that our farm partners do closest to the soil.

I know collaboration is a central part of Ojaswe’s ethos — in what ways are you connecting with the farmers, chefs, etc. in your community and what have you found valuable in that?

Thank you for surfacing this! Collaboration is core to Ojaswe. When we’re hurtling towards a planetary warming of 1.5°C, taking action cannot possibly fall just to individuals. We have individual roles to play as citizens, community members, and consumers; but our food goes through a complex web of policy, farming, finance, and cultural decisions before it gets to us. Collaboration and collective action is the only way to move the needle on things like transparency and climate action through food.

I’ve learned so much from my farm partners, specifically the Axten family, about the effort it takes to be a good land steward. I’ve had the chance to work with chefs and educators who are super passionate about regenerative and low-waste food (shout out to Ryan Peterson, Gary Podesto, Hawnuh Lee, Ashley Morford-Haines!) and it is so inspiring to see how much work they do to be thoughtful about their sourcing and preparation. Most recently, I’ve had some amazing opportunities to learn from social justice and equity organizations on community food needs, including Soapbox Project, Cascadia Produce, and African Community Housing and Development here in Seattle. There is so much great work already being done to change these systems, so we’re passing the mic where we need to. 

As a new business, what other brands or organizations are you drawing inspiration from?

There are so many! A few that immediately come to mind:

Diaspora Co.

OmSom

Loisa

Patagonia Provisions

Moonshot Snacks

Bioneers

Terra.do

Planet FWD

Get Shit Done

Is there anything that has surprised or unexpectedly challenged you through the process of launching a sustainable food business? 

On the business side, our biggest challenge is lack of infrastructure for small and medium scale sustainable food businesses. It’s expensive to make business choices that allow us to source respectfully, pay our farm partners equitably, and deliver product in a way that is good for the planet.

If we gave up or traded off any one of those things, we’d be golden on the profitability front, but my goal is to build more than just a brand or product. It’s to build an ecosystem and infrastructure that sustainable food organizations across the supply chain can collaborate on.

On the upside, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much support there is for this work to exist. It’s been heartening to see that people do want to support better for you / better for the planet food business, especially if we can help with time and decision fatigue.

On a personal note, this journey of launching a food business has led me down a path of self-discovery. It’s helped me reflect on my own food / culture / fusion identities. I’m a queer brown girl, an immigrant, and a parent. I love food, but didn’t start cooking until I was an adult. I worked in launching consumer food brands, but didn’t work close to the source of our food until a couple of years ago. It feels like I’m developing a fuller version of myself through food and that I did not expect 😊

What is one thing you especially love about the work that you do?

I love talking with and hearing from our consumers. I love seeing the impact we’re making in their lives. I love that each consumer review is a validation of the work that our farm partners are doing.

How do you wind down after a busy day?

Depends on the day. Nothing beats making a good meal and sharing it with my wife and daughter at the end of a particularly busy day. Rest and family time are incredibly important to my functioning as my best self. So I make time for those things.

Do you enjoy cooking for and hosting family and friends at your home, and if so what are some specialties you love to make?

Absolutely yes! I live in a tiny, tiny home right now, so our gatherings have gotten quite a bit smaller. But I love gathering around food. I love a good potluck style meal because it allows everyone to bring something to the table and it takes a huge weight off of the host.

Some of my favorite things to make are savory pancakes (I grew up with a whole range:: pesarattu, dosa, chillas, uttappam, etc.), a good shrimp curry (that I learned from my Konkani family), and Tex-Mex food (that I learned from my wife’s family). I love learning to cook things that my family and dearest friends love.

If you could invite anyone in the world, who would you bring to your dream Ojaswe dinner party?

Hmm… I think I’m supposed to come up with people that I admire, but the idea of inviting folks that I admire to a formal dinner party stresses me out. I’d probably just throw a giant potluck party and invite anyone who wants to be there.

This journey of launching a food business has led me down a path of self-discovery.

Thank you, Ash! You are making the world a better place, one savory pancake at a time. 

Give Ojaswe’s Chilla Mix a try and let us know how you like them! Our reco for spring? Top with an herby pesto and a few stalks of grilled asparagus.

I for one, will be partying for the planet after this weekend.

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