One of the things I’ve been working toward since coming back from Ukraine is becoming more sustainable and eco-friendly with my actions.
In Ukraine, eco-friendly isn’t really a thing. It’s not safe to drink the water, so I was blowing through bottled water on a daily basis. Packaged goods are triple-wrapped in plastic (seriously, you’ll buy a plastic bag of milk, which will then be put into one of those flimsy little plastic produce bags and THEN put into a normal grocery bag) and recycling… is a joke. While Ukrainians are great at reusing a lot of things, there is SO much (avoidable!) plastic waste in Ukrainian society.
So, when I got back to the U.S., I put more of an emphasis on being eco-friendly. I’ve always been good about recycling and relying on public transit, but now that I’m driving a gas-guzzling SUV and living in a city that doesn’t offer up the same robust recycling program that Chicago did, I started looking into new ways to scale back my waste.
I’ve stopped buying Ziploc bags and Saran Wrap and use Pyrex and beeswax wraps instead. I carry a HydroFlask with me everywhere so I don’t have to buy bottled water. I bring my own reusable grocery bags to Safeway and Whole Foods and I don’t use straws.
But, still. There’s always more to be done! And, while Flagstaff doesn’t accept most recyclables the way that Chicago did, there is one thing Flagstaff offers that Chicago didn’t…
Composting! Which I do now after I make… vegetable broth from scratch!
So, starting with the composting thing. Flagstaff’s CSA offers compost drop-off, so once of twice a week, I take my compost crock downtown to empty it out. Because I do a lot of my cooking from scratch, most of the waste I generate is compostable.
If you didn’t know, you can compost everything from fruit and vegetable scraps to eggshells to coffee grounds (and filters) to cotton balls and swabs (as long as they’re made from 100 percent cotton and cardboard).
So now, instead of tossing my potato peels and avocado skins in the trash, they go into my compost bin!
But, aside from composting, I’ve also been using my vegetable scraps in a different way.
I’ve been making my own vegetable broth from scratch, too. It turns out, it’s pretty easy to do, and it tastes way better than the store-bought broth. Because I cook a lot of my food from scratch, I am NOT short on scraps.
If you’re wondering what vegetable scraps to boil into broth, I’ve found that mushrooms, carrots, green onions, scallions, shallots, celery, garlic and onion work best. Simply set the skins, roots, peels, stems and other non-edible parts aside, freeze them (I use a large Pyrex container or two) and then — once you have a stock pot or dutch oven’s worth — cover the scraps in water and then boil them down with a little bit of salt.
After two hours of boiling, I strain the scraps, freeze the broth, and then throw the soggy scraps into my compost bin.
Voila! My onion skins, garlic papers, floppy inner celery stalks and carrot roots have a new life.
Avoid using broccoli, zucchini, peppers, potatoes, soft greens and cauliflower. You can use tomatoes and bell peppers, but only in minimal amounts.
Vegetable stock can be used for so many things! I don’t eat meat, so I usually use vegetable stock in lieu of chicken or beef stock when cooking. It makes a great soup base, and can even just be used to cook things like rice or quinoa if you want a little extra flavor.
I keep a little list on the side of my refrigerator reminding me what waste can be a. saved for broth, b. composted, c. recycled at my apartment complex, d. recycled at a drop-off facility and e. thrown in the garbage… which is always the last resort.
What small steps have you been taking to reduce your carbon footprint and make your home a little more eco-friendly? I’d love to hear them!
This post was originally published Feb. 3, 2021. Its timestamp has been updated.
