Emerald Keeper of the Month for November: Megan McKee
“I love making food that is sustainable, delicious, and healthy,” McKee explained as she spoke passionately about purchasing sustainable, locally grown and locally sourced foods. 
“All of our seafood and meat comes from local sources. Our meat is all hand-cut,” Mackey said.
“We have vegetables and herbs growing in our new garden, and we source our fruits and vegetables from local farmers through Specialty Produce, so everything is fresh, never frozen.”
McKee and her team implemented the composting operation when she was hired at the Coronado Yacht Club. “All kitchen waste is composted, and food waste is put in the green bin,” Mackey explained.
The club’s menu has changed and three to four new specials are introduced each week. “I’m very proud that we haven’t duplicated our weekly specials. I love the variety, and I love the challenge it creates for myself and my employees.
In addition to changes aimed at being more sustainable, Mackie has been instrumental in changing hearts and minds to embrace meat-free options and reduce plastics. Last week, one of the specials was burrata and pesto lasagna. The red (tomato) and green (pesto) lasagna was served with pesto, ricotta, burrata, spinach, crunchy prosciutto and Italian herbs with a side of CYC Caesar salad. Tasty!
McKee promotes understanding of the necessity of clean, plastic-free water and its responsibility to eliminate plastic. Emerald Keepers has created table covers to inform members about the harmful effects of plastics.
Coronado Yacht Club deserves praise for its sustainability efforts, including the Boris – marine skimmer (gifted by the Emerald Keepers with the help of generous donors), the work of the Green Team, touchless faucets to save water, and an expansion of the garden. 
McKee recently partnered with the Coronado Island Film Festival as part of their culinary cinema for the film Spear. Spatula. The submarine is sponsored by Emerald Keepers. The film is about the lionfish, an invasive species in Florida and the Caribbean. Scientists believe about a dozen lionfish were released by someone into Florida waters. These toxic invasive fish decimate native fish populations, disrupting the food web that is important to the health of coral reefs. As a way to reduce their numbers, lionfish hunting is encouraged in these areas. Toxins are removed when cooked. Instead of wasting protein resources, restaurants serve lionfish. For the show, Maki prepared two beautiful and delicious meals for the occasion. The first was a cup of cucumber with pesto hummus, olive tomatoes, basil, parsley, and crumbled feta cheese. The second, a wonton cup filled with a mini version of the CYC cup mixed with seaweed salad, furikake, wasabi, and Sriracha aioli. The table was beautifully served and there was no waste with only a napkin to be composted or put in a green bin. 
One can’t help but be inspired to think and act more sustainably in the kitchen after speaking with Megan McKee. Sure enough, Emerald Keepers has partnered with Meghan to provide a vegan recipe for our monthly newsletter. Be on the lookout for her delicious recipes. We are all excited to learn more about recipes that can help heal the body and the planet. If you are not registered to receive our newsletters, you can register on our website: emeraldkeepers.org.
Congratulations to Megan McKee for being named Emerald Keeper of the Month, a well-deserved recognition.
