3 Earth Day Recipes That Deliver Big on Flavor
When it comes to making a difference on Earth day and beyond, every little bit counts. There are many ways to live just a little more mindfully of our planet — not all gestures have to be grand. For any of us thinking about shifting our habits, we can start small with simple, planet-pleasing practices. Start there and see how easy it is to expand what living green means for you.
In fact, we’ve found that the kitchen is a place where the concepts of reduce, reuse, and recycle really come to life. So with that in mind, here are some ways you can get the most out of your food.
Use the whole food.
One Pot, Pan, Planet cookbook author Anna Jones amps the lemon flavor in her coconut chickpea stew by throwing an entire lemon into it, rather than adding only the juice. As a result, it’s positively bursting with bright lemon flavor. I love this idea and recommend adding whole lemons to other dishes like braised beans or marinades. Don’t stop with the juice; bring the flavors of the lemon’s zest, too. Are you still throwing away the lemon, eventually? Sure, but at least you maximized the amount of flavor it has to offer, first.
Get the recipe: Lemon, Chickpea and Green Herb Stew
Save Scraps for Stock
I love this poached shrimp with thousand island dressing recipe from Alexis deBoschnek’s cookbook, To the Last Bite: Recipes and Ideas for Making the Most of Your Ingredients, partly because Alexis recommends poaching the shrimp with any kitchen scraps you happen to have. (Check out Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch’s recommendations for sustainable shrimp.) At the very end of the recipe she also recommends saving the tails and any shells you have to make a shellfish stock: Gently simmer the tails (and shells) with aromatics (no more than 90 minutes!) and you have a great base broth to build flavor upon.
Both are excellent ideas. In my home I keep two bags of food scraps in my freezer: one for all-vegetable stock and one for non-vegetarian stock. I use them to gather food waste like leek tops, herbs on their way out, Parmesan rinds, and chicken parts. Instead of throwing those items away, I save them and make stock on a rainy day.
Get the recipe: Poached Shrimp with Thousand Island Dressing
Create Plant-Based Versions of Meat-Based Dishes
We know that a plant-based diet is better for our planet. Getting there takes a bit of creativity, like adapting some of our most beloved meaty dishes into vegetarian versions. Gumbo is one such dish.
Now, plenty of people would say that gumbo has no business trying to be vegetarian. But I love this vegetarian gumbo essay and recipe by Omar Tate from BLACK FOOD: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora. He walks us through the emotions of turning this revered, meat-based dish steeped in Southern heritage into a vegetable-based stew. And it turns out so delicious, he believes he’s made his ancestors proud. I agree! Tate’s recipe shows how you can adapt a recipe with respect to the original, and with love, intention, and consideration.
Get the recipe: Vegetarian Gumbo
One More Tip: Compost
Remember, so much food waste is compostable. Compost enriches the soil, promoting a healthier garden. In some cities, you can drop off your compostable items at the farmers market, or a local community garden that keeps a garden compost pile. Or, if you have the space, you can start your own very simple composting project or use a composting service.
Whether you’re just getting started on your green journey or have been on this path for a while, I invite you to try out our Earth Day recipes. You won’t be disappointed!