SEASONAL & SUSTAINABLE LIVING - JULY: CREATING AN ECO-FRIENDLY KITCHEN

14 July 2020 - Posted by The Sisterhood of Sustainability

Happy July and welcome to the second half of the year! We’ve loved sharing these seasonal and sustainable living articles with you and hope that you’ve enjoyed cooking recipes with the fresh and organic produce that is on offer each month. This month we’re sharing more beautiful recipes as well as teaching you how to create a beautiful, eco-friendly and zero waste kitchen.

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN SEASON IN JULY

Which delicious meals and ingredients are you going to enjoy this month?

SEASONAL VEGETABLES

Asian Greens – Bok Choy - Beetroot - Broccoli - Brussels Sprout - Choy Sum - Cabbage - Carrot - Cauliflower - Celeriac - Celery - Fennel – Garlic - Ginger - Hass Avocados – Horseradish - Jerusalem Artichoke - Kale - Kohlrabi - Leeks - Okra - Olives - Onions - Parsnip - Potato - Pumpkin - Shallots - Silverbeet - Spinach - Swede - Sweet Potato - Turnip - Witlof - Wonga Bok

SEASONAL FRUITS

Bonza Apples – Braeburn Apples – Cumquat - Champagne Mandarins - Custard Apples - Ellendale Mandarins - Fuji Apples – Golden Delicious Apples – Grapefruit - Imperial Mandarins - Lady Williams Apples – Lemons - Limes - Melon Mandarins - Nashi Mandarins - Navel Oranges - Pink Lady Apples - Papaya - Pineapple - Pomelo - Rhubarb - Red Delicious Apples - Sundowner Apples - Tangelo

THE BASICS OF AN ECO-FRIENDLY KITCHEN

Eco-friendly kitchens can come in all shapes and sizes and there are a million different steps you can take to help you achieve the type of eco-friendly kitchen that perfectly suits you and your lifestyle. Whether you’re just starting out on your zero waste journey or have been at it for years, we’re going to share with you lots of creative and useful ways to reduce your impact and achieve a beautiful and stylish earth friendly kitchen. The basic elements of an eco-friendly kitchen are creating minimal waste, thoughtfully choosing ingredients, implementing plastic free alternatives, eco-friendly cleaning, saving water and making the most of what you already have. Now let’s discover which positive changes you can make…

MINIMISING KITCHEN WASTE

Prevent food waste by buying only what you need and using leftovers
Eat leftovers first or save food from dinners to eat for lunch the next day
Swap paper towels for reusable ones that are made with recycled fabric
Utilise glass and metal containers instead of using plastic ones
Use reusable produce bags instead of plastic ones from the supermarket
Buy bulk food and unpackaged wholefoods to avoid plastic packaging
Use metal straws for your drinks rather than disposable plastic ones
Buy your bread unpackaged from the local bakery and store in a cotton bag
Use ocean friendly and biodegradable dishwashing liquid for your dishes

THOUGHTFULLY CHOOSING INGREDIENTS & GROCERIES

Trying growing as much of your own fruits, vegetables and herbs as possible
Explore the farmers markets for your groceries and buy only what you need
Learn how to store fresh foods and pantry staples properly to prevent spoiling
Use home grown, local and organic produce for cooking your meals
Learn how to make your own jams, preserves, bread, nut milks and yoghurt etc.

IMPLEMENTING PLASTIC FREE ALTERNATIVES

Use homemade beeswax wraps and clean tea towels for storing fresh produce in the fridge
Opt for glass containers and plastic free alternative storage solutions in the kitchen
Make use of reusable bags, old boxes and second hand baskets for grocery shopping
Choose products that are package free or have packaging that can be recycled or composted
When plastic containers and utensils reach the end of their life, replace them with plastic free items

ECO-FRIENDLY CLEANING IDEAS FOR YOUR KITCHEN

Use natural fibre brushes and loofah sponges for cleaning dishes instead of plastic products
Try using soap bars for dishwashing and hand washing at the kitchen sink
Make your own homemade, eco-friendly cleaning products from natural ingredients
Use old remedies for common kitchen problems such as lemon juice for burnt pans
Dry your dishes and wipe your benches down with reusable fabric tea towels and wipes

SAVING WATER WHILE YOU COOK AND CLEAN

Use a bowl of water to wash fruits and vegetables rather than having the tap running
Collect water from handwashing and the kitchen sink to use on the garden or indoor plants
Only boil the kettle with the amount of water that you’re going to need
Keep the water that’s been drained from pasta or noodles to use on the garden
Choose an eco-friendly and energy efficient dishwasher to save water, time and money

MAKING THE MOST OF WHAT YOU HAVE

Avoid buying new appliances when you can achieve the same outcome with kitchen utensils
Before buying something new, ask yourself if you really need it or if you can do without
Learn new skills such as making your own breads, jams, cleaning products and recipes from scratch
Use mismatched plates, bowls and cutlery to create a picnic set rather than getting rid of them
Make sure you use the ingredients in your fridge and pantry first, before going out to buy more

SUSTAINABLE RECIPES FOR PINEAPPLE

There are two main varieties sold in Australia. Smooth, which is excellent for juicing; and Rough, which is smaller and sweeter with an edible core. These varieties can be sold under a number of different brands or types, such as Mareeba Gold, Bethonga Gold, Queen and King of Fruit.

BUYING
Choose pineapples that have a firm skin, a sweet aroma and feel heavy. Avoid ones with wilted leaves, soft spots or an acidic scent.

STORING
Uncut pineapples will stay fresh for 2 days at room temperature and between 3-5 days in the fridge. Sliced pineapple can keep up for a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

For a barbecue dish bursting with flavour, combine 1 tablespoon each soy sauce and honey, and 1 teaspoon each minced garlic and ginger. Coat chicken cutlets with marinade and thread onto skewers with chopped pineapple and red capsicum. Grill for 4 minutes each side, until cooked.

Fresh salsa adds flavour, but not fat. Dice equal parts mango and pineapple and mix with finely chopped coriander, red onion and 1 red chilli. Toss with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

For a refreshing, healthy dessert, top thinly sliced pineapple rounds with a scoop of passionfruit pulp and garnish with chopped mint leaves.

SUSTAINABLE RECIPES FOR LEEK

Leeks, which are a type of onion, aren’t sold by variety in Australia - although smaller leeks can be sold as baby leeks. Leeks have a thick white base and long, thick white stalks with bare, fan-shaped green leaves.

BUYING
Choose leeks with crisp white bottoms and fresh looking tops with green leaves.

STORING
Store leeks in a plastic bag in the crisper of your fridge for up to a week.

Make a chicken and leek pasta bake. Preheat oven to 200 degreesC. Spray a pan with oil. Cook 1 finely chopped onion and 1 trimmed and sliced leek, until soft. Add 1 cup frozen mixed veggies and 1 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast. Cook for 2 - 4 minutes, then add 2 tablespoons flour. Stir, the add a 375ml can evaporated milk and simmer for 1 - 2 minutes. Add 250g cooked pasta. Toss to coat, then place into a large baking dish. Top with 1/2 cup cheese. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Try this tasty omelette. Spray a pan with oil and place over medium heat. Add 2 trimmed and thinly sliced leeks and 2 cloves crushed garlic and cook, stirring for 10 minutes or until leeks are soft. Add 1/2 cup thinly sliced mushrooms and 1 thinly sliced red capsicum. Cook for 5 more minutes. Add 100g baby spinach leaves and stir to combine. Cook for a further 30 seconds or until spinach is wilted. Spoon leek mixture over a cooked, plain egg omelette.

Make a warming soup. Spray a large saucepan with oil. Gently fry 2 sliced leeks and 2 cups sliced fennel then cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add 3 peeled and diced potatoes, 2 cloves crushed garlic, 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock. Simmer for 10 minutes. Puree soup in a blender until smooth (add a little more milk if too thick). Serve with grainy rolls.

SUSTAINABLE RECIPES FOR ASIAN GREENS

There are a number of different types of Asian greens, the most common being bok choy or wombok (two types of Chinese cabbage), choy sum (Chinese silverbeet), and gai laan (Chinese broccoli). Gai choy is another type of Chinese cabbage, and it has a distinctive peppery taste.

BUYING
Choose greens with fresh-looking, brightly -coloured leaves and firm stems. Avoid ones with discoloured, wilted leaves or soft songs stems. Look for gai laan with budded flowers and fresh looking leaves.

STORING
All Asian greens can be kept in the crisper section of the refrigerator. Gai choy and choy sum will keep for 2-3 days, while bok choy and gai laan will last a little longer (3-4 days).

For a simple, fresh side dish, steam any type of Asian greens until bright green. Top with a finely diced fresh chilli, peeled and thinly sliced ginger and a drizzle of oyster sauce.

Prepare Udon noodles according to packet instructions and steam a bunch of shredded bok choy until just tender. Squeeze out excess liquid. Combine bok choy and noodles with a 95g tin flaked salmon, cashews and bean sprouts. Drizzle with soy sauce and sesame oil.

Serve up this delicious slaw with poached fish or grilled chicken. Combine 4 cups finely sliced bok choy with 2 cups thinly sliced pineapple pieces, 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1 cup fresh coriander leaves. Set aside for 15 minutes before serving.

We’ve teamed up with Hannah Thompson @bramblyorchard and Camilla Jorvad @sigridsminde for this blog series and will be sharing their photos and little snippets of inspiration from them throughout each post.

Some photos displayed in this blog post have been styled, created and supplied by Camillia Jorvad from @sigridsminde. Camilla who is currently re-wilding a family farm on Ero Island in Denmark. She uses gardening and living mindfully and seasonally as a way of managing stress and depression shares beautiful and creative photos of life on the land. Other photos displayed have been collected from our Pinterest account.