Gazpacho

Summer is winding down but here in Southern California it’s still in the upper 90’s & 100’s. Tomatoes and cucumbers are full of water and electrolytes and gazpacho is perfect on hot days. I started making this several years ago, sometimes the ingredients vary a little but this is pretty much always my base. My husband called it martian salsa on Facebook once, haha! Eating spicy things when it’s hot seems counter intuitive but if you look at cultures near the equator they often eat lots of spicy food. I used yellow heirloom tomatoes for this version. If your cucumbers have a thick skin you can remove some or part of it. If you prefer something mild, remove the seeds and membrane of the jalapeño. The longer this sits the spicier it gets. Eat by itself or with avocado (everything is better with avocado) and tortilla chips.

Gazpacho

2-4 cucumbers depending on size
1 jalapeño
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1 onion
6 tomatoes
2 limes
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper


Cut half of the ingredients into chuck then blend/purée in the blender pour into a large bowl. Chop the and vegetables and pour into blended mixture. Add the juice of the limes, the rest of the cilantro leaves. Salt and pepper to tasted (I used about 1 tsp of salt 1/2 tsp of fresh ground pepper). Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat. Enjoy!

Peach Cobbler

Peaches are one of summer's treasures. We used to have a peach tree and nothing is better than fresh, organic peaches right off the tree. Peach smoothies, salsa and cobbler are all close seconds. It's an easy recipe but takes a little time. Frozen peaches are perfect for this because they’re already peeled and sliced (you can also used canned but the texture will be a little more mushy). If you can get peaches off someones tree, great! If not, buy organic, peaches are one on the “dirty dozen” list. If you like more cobbler on the top, it's easy to double the topping.

Peach Cobbler

1 cup whole wheat or unbleached flour (oat flour if you want it gluten free)

2 Tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tea baking powder

1/2 tea cinnamon

1/4 vegan butter

5-6 cups sliced peaches

1/3-2/3 cups sugar

1 Tbsp corn starch

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup plant milk

2 tsp vanilla divided

Preheat oven to 400. For the topping, in a medium bowl stir the flour, 2 Tbsp sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the plant milk until you have a slightly sticky biscuit type dough. Set aside.

For the filling, in a large pot combine the peaches, the sugar, cornstarch, water (you don’t need to use water if they’re frozen) and 1 tsp vanilla. Let stand for a few minutes. Cook and stir until slightly thickened. Pour into a 9x13 pan if your doubling the recipe a lasagna pan will work. Add the topping and bake about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve with vegan whipped cream or ice cream and enjoy!

Some holiday tips to reduce waste

If you’re trying to reduce your waste, holiday shopping can be a challenge. You don’t want to buy someone one more thing they absolutely don’t need but you still want to get them something. And then there’s the wrapping and cards Oy vey! Every year about 540,000 tons of wrapping paper is thrown out and ends up in landfills. So. Much. Waste.

I’ll share with you a few things I’ve done this past year. For Valentine’s Day I sent my kid’s Chipotle gift cards, but instead of mailing them a card with a gift card in it, I sent them e-gift cards with a note saying I love you, here’s lunch on me. Most sites that offer e-gift cards have a place for a personal message. For our anniversary instead of gifts we went out for breakfast and went whale watching. We’d never been and it was a beautiful day out on the water. Of course there’s good old cash, I forgot to get (or make) my niece a graduation card so I used Zelle through my bank and transferred her gift right there at the dinner table. Easy peasy.

Our daily choices can make a huge impact, it may not feel like much but trust me it matters. Here are some other ideas:

• Support small businesses, there’s lots of cool hand made things at the local farmers markets and usually they don’t have packaging. Think soaps, lip balms, bath bombs etc. Buying things at local businesses cuts down on transportation pollution.

• Get your coffee or tea loving friend or family member a reusable coffee cup and an e gift card to their favorite coffee place (preferably a small business).

• Give the gift of quality time, especially to your aging grandparents and parents. Take them for lunch, dinner, a movie, a pedicure. Go to a concert, bake cookies, watch a football game. Whatever it is actually doesn’t matter much, they just want your time. They get lonely and need to know that they’re still important amidst our busy lives.

• Shop secondhand. I have found some incredible deals at thrift stores, like $200+ premium denim jeans for $15!!! And I LOVE Poshmark, I have found amazing things with the tags still on for less than half of the retail price..

• As for wrapping, use unexpected things like old paper shopping bags, news paper, cloth scraps, magazine pages. Bulk food, grocery bags or pillow cases work they and serve a dual purpose. Bows made from fabric or twine. Pine cones, cinnamon sticks, dried citrus fruit are all cute and compostable. Or you can use stuff that’s been in your Christmas box for years like I am.

Vegan Persimmon Pudding

This is one of my favorite desserts, it just tastes like Christmas to me. It’s one of the first desserts beyond sugar cookies I learned to make back in high school. You have to have super ripe and squishy persimmons for this. I get mine from the farmers market, they save them for me every year. I used walnuts but you could also use pecans. If you like raisins you could add those as well. For the pulp I strained the persimmons through a colander into a large bowl. (Remember to compost the skins and stems).

Persimmon pudding

2 cups of persimmon pulp

3 egg replacement (I used Follow Your Heart’s)

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/2 nutmeg (or pumpkin pie spice)

1/2 cup melted vegan butter

2 1/2 cups almond or cashew milk

1 1/2 cup whole wheat or unbleached flour

1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a large bowl add the egg replacement to the persimmon pulp, whisk in the sugar.  Add baking powder, soda, salt and spices.  Pour in melted vegan butter, stir & pour in the almond milk.  The mixture will be sort of soupy, whisk in flour, fold in chopped nuts.  Pour into a greased 9 X 13 pan.  Bake for 1 hour or until knife comes out clean.  Serve warm or room temperature with vegan whipped cream.

How the world’s recycling system broke

For decades, we've been told that recycling is one of the best things we can do for the planet. We dutifully rinse our containers, sort our plastics, and feel good about doing our part. But here's an uncomfortable truth: the recycling system isn't working the way most of us think it is and in 2018, much of it came to a screeching halt.

This isn't meant to discourage you. It's meant to empower you with knowledge so you can make choices that actually make a difference.

What Happened in 2018: China's National Sword Policy

For years, the United States and other Western countries shipped their recyclable materials to China for processing. We're talking about millions of tons of plastic, paper, and other materials crossing the ocean to be sorted and recycled. Then, in January 2018, China implemented their "National Sword" policy, effectively banning the import of most recyclables. Why? Because much of what we were sending wasn't actually recyclable and it was contaminated with food waste, non-recyclable materials mixed in, and plastics that couldn't be processed.

The immediate impact:

• Recycling facilities in the US had nowhere to send materials

• Many municipalities stopped accepting certain types of recyclables

• Millions of tons of "recyclables" ended up in landfills

• The economics of recycling collapsed overnight

The system we relied on for decades was suddenly broken.

The Uncomfortable Truth About Plastic is that most of it can’t actually be recycled.

Of the seven types of plastic (marked with numbers 1-7), only #1 (PET) and #2 (HDPE) are regularly recycled—and even then, only a small percentage actually gets recycled.

The numbers:

• Less than 9% of all plastic ever produced has been recycled

• About 12% has been incinerated

• The rest (79%) is in landfills or the environment

Plastic Degrades Each Time It's Recycled

Unlike glass or metal, plastic can't be infinitely recycled. Each time it's processed, the quality degrades. A plastic bottle might become a lower-grade product once, but then it's done.

"Recycling" Often Means Something Else

Much of what gets "recycled" is actually:

• Downcycled - turned into lower-quality products that can't be recycled again

• Incinerated - burned for energy (releasing greenhouse gases)

• Exported - sent to countries with less environmental regulation

• Landfilled - when contamination is too high or markets don't exist

The recycling crisis isn't your fault. The system was flawed from the start:

1. Industry Shifted Responsibility

In the 1970s, beverage and packaging companies facing criticism for waste created the "Keep America Beautiful" campaign. The message? Litter is YOUR problem, not ours. This clever marketing shifted responsibility from manufacturers to consumers.

2. Wishful Recycling

We've been encouraged to "when in doubt, recycle it"—but contamination ruins entire batches of recyclables. That pizza box with grease? That plastic bag? They contaminate everything they touch.

3. Economic Dependency

Recycling only works when there's a market for recycled materials. When virgin plastic became cheaper than recycled plastic (thanks to fracking and oil subsidies), the economics collapsed.

4. Lack of Infrastructure

The US never built adequate domestic recycling infrastructure because we relied on shipping materials overseas. When that stopped, we had no backup plan.

This isn't about guilt or giving up. It's about understanding what actually helps so you can focus your energy where it matters most.

The Hierarchy of What Works (In Order of Impact):

1. REFUSE Don't accept what you don't need.

• Say no to single-use plastics

• Decline freebies and promotional items

• Refuse excessive packaging

2. REDUCE Use less of everything.

• Buy only what you need

• Choose quality over quantity

• Opt for products with minimal packaging

3. REUSE Extend the life of what you have.

• Use reusable bags, bottles, containers

• Repair instead of replace

• Buy secondhand when possible

4. RECYCLE Only after the above three.

• Focus on materials that actually get recycled (aluminum, steel, cardboard)

• Keep it clean and uncontaminated

• Know your local recycling rules

5. ROT Compost organic waste.

• Food scraps belong in compost, not landfills

• Reduces methane emissions

• Creates valuable soil

High-Impact Actions:

Based on current research and infrastructure, here's what you can do that truly helps:

Aluminum & Steel Cans

• These ACTUALLY get recycled at high rates (around 50-70%)

• Infinitely recyclable without quality loss

• Economically valuable - there's always a market

• What to do: Rinse and recycle all aluminum and steel

Cardboard & Paper

• High recycling rates when clean and dry

• Can be recycled 5-7 times before fibers break down

• What to do: Keep dry, remove tape/labels when possible, flatten boxes

Glass

• Infinitely recyclable

• Some municipalities struggle with economics/weight

• What to do: Check if your area accepts glass; if not, some stores take it back

Reduce Plastic at the Source This is the MOST important thing you can do:

• Bring reusable bags, bottles, cups, containers

• Choose products in glass, metal, or cardboard instead of plastic

• Buy in bulk when possible

• Support legislation requiring manufacturers to reduce packaging

Your Action Plan: Small Steps That Matter

This Week:

Don't try to do everything at once. Pick one or two changes to start:Learn your local recycling rules (they vary widely!)

• Start carrying a reusable bag

• Buy one reusable item (water bottle, coffee cup, shopping bag)

This Month:

• Audit your trash - what could you refuse or reduce?

• Switch one regularly purchased item to less packaging

• Start composting (even just coffee grounds and produce scraps)

This Year:

• Build a collection of reusable items for daily life

• Support businesses and brands reducing packaging

• Talk to others about what you've learned

Individual actions are important, but we also need systemic change:

Support Policies That Work:

• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) - Making manufacturers responsible for end-of-life of products

• Deposit return systems - Financial incentive to return containers

• Bans on problematic single-use plastics

• Investment in domestic recycling infrastructure

Hold Companies Accountable:

• Choose companies committed to reducing packaging

• Avoid brands using excessive plastic

• Support businesses with take-back programs

Hope Amid the Broken System

Share what you've learned. The more people understand the reality of recycling, the more pressure there is for real solutions. Learning that recycling doesn't work as promised can feel defeating. I get it. But here's the hopeful part: now that you know, you can focus on actions that genuinely help.

Every piece of plastic you refuse is one less that needs to be "dealt with." Every reusable item you choose prevents waste from being created in the first place. Every conversation you have spreads awareness that can lead to better policies.

The solution isn't better recycling; it's less waste. And that's something each of us can work on, one decision/one bite at a time.

Learn More

My daughter Sage continues to educate people about sustainability and zero waste. Follow her on Instagram at @sagelenier for evidence-based information about what actually works for the planet.

For more information about recycling and what you can do:

• Your local recycling facility - Find out exactly what they accept

• EPA's Recycling Resource - epa.gov/recycle

• The Story of Stuff - Documentary about consumption and waste

• Your city's waste management department - Many offer free educational programs

Real Solutions

We've been fed a comfortable narrative about recycling that let us feel good without questioning the system. Now we know better. The recycling system broke not because we weren't trying hard enough, but because it was fundamentally flawed. Knowing the truth gives us power. Power to make different choices. Power to demand better systems. Power to focus on what actually works.

Refuse what you don't need. Reduce what you use. Reuse what you have. And recycle what's left smartly, understanding its limitations.

That's how we move forward. Not with false hope, but with real action.

One decision, one step, one bite at a time.

“Recycling is commonly conceived of as 'good for the planet'. What most people don't know is that it actually isn't, and that most of the recycling industry grinded to a halt in 2018. With the shape our planet is in, there's no time to waste on false solutions, so it's imperative that we understand the actions we can take that will truly benefit the earth.” Sage Lenier

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Zucchini is one of the most versatile vegetables. I’ve had so much from my garden this summer that I’ve been putting it in everything! From zoodles, savory zucchini pancakes, soups, shredded in salads, muffins and bread. I revamped my chocolate zucchini bread so it’s now completely plant based. You can use one kind of flour or a combination like I did. I’ve made it gluten free many times by substituting the unbleached and whole wheat flour for all oat flour or 1/2 oat and 1/2 buckwheat or rice flour. (Buckwheat is a seed, not a grain. Quinoa is another seed that’s often mistaken for a grain). My favorite way to eat this is with a little vegan cream cheese or butter.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

1 cup unbleached flour 

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup oat flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

2 teaspoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon salt 

3/4 cup white or raw sugar 

3/4 cup brown sugar

3 flax ‘eggs’ 

1/2 cup avocado oil 

1/2 cup applesauce

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini 

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans or 24 muffin tins 

For the flax ‘eggs’ use 1 Tbsp flax meal and 3 Tbsp of water for each ‘egg’ (you can grind the seeds in a food processor). You can also use an egg replacer or chia ‘eggs’. Mix the flax meal with water and set aside until it’s a gelatinous texture.

In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Once flax ‘eggs’ have reached a gelatinous texture, start adding the wet ingredients. Make a ‘well’ in the middle of the dry ingredients. Add flax egg, oil, apple sauce, vanilla and shredded zucchini. Mix until combined. Add the nuts and chocolate chips. Spoon evenly into loaf pans or muffin tins.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, for muffins bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove bread from pans; cool completely on wire rack. Enjoy!

Zero waste, imperfectly is still moving towards zero waste

I’ve had this site now for over a year and yet I have posted only a handful of times. The biggest reason for that is that I’ve been somewhat intimidated, mostly in regard to the zero waste category. It doesn’t matter that I’m not doing zero waste 100% perfectly. I follow Anne-Marie Bonneau on Instagram, her profile name is zerowastechef, she posted “we don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly…we need millions of people doing zero waste imperfectly”. Which is the absolute truth.

Overwhelmed? No biggie, start with reusable grocery bags, produce/bulk bags, some jars and a reusable water bottle. Try looking at thrift stores for mason jars instead of buying some. I got my most recent glass water bottle at a thrift store for only $3.00.

Having meatless meals is another way to lower your carbon footprint. Too difficult? Try just one a week, need some ideas, search for #meatlessmondays. Small sustainable changes are the key, we can all do zero waste, imperfectly.