Recipes
Features
Events
About
Shop

Recipes
Features
Events
About
Shop

×

Recipes
Features
Events
About
Shop

Recipes

Lemon Cucumber + Heirloom Tomato Salad

Easy Radish Greens Spring Salad

buddha bowl with mix of winter vegetables, brown rice, and black beans

Cabbage + Sweet Potato Lentil Soup

Vegan Leek Greens + Potato Soup

finished Thanksgiving salad overhead with all ingredients mixed together

Cauliflower and Winter Squash Salad

Lemon Cucumber + Heirloom Tomato Salad

The latest recipes on Instagram »

View on Instagram

57 1

Link to display lightbox

Instagram post 2129305893773535293_7668225354

Thinking about those last peaches of summer and what else I can get them into before fall comes around the corner. Mood tea towels in shop (with more designs on the way!) #closedloopcooking 📷 @byrainbowpink 💕

View on Instagram

55 7

Link to display lightbox

Instagram post 2128668907325095329_7668225354

Easy Baba Ganoush! 🍆 (is this appropriate now? 😅) We’ve got a plethora of rag-tag eggplants (aubergines) in the crisper I’ve been trying to use up. Normally I’m not a fan, but with so many eggplants around (CSA life) I had to think of something. My deep love of tahini inspired a super savory baba ganoush and let me tell ya, this dip is DIVINE! I’m a total convert!It’s a perfect spread for just about anything. We put it on tacos with homemade tortillas (stay tuned), eggs in the morning, flax seed crackers and crudite. I’m seriously impressed by this versatile eggplanty-goodness.  Ingredients: - 3 to 4 large globe eggplants (or several smaller, equivalent) - approx 3 tbsp olive oil - 1/4 c tahini (you can DIY!) - 2 cloves garlic - approx 1 tbsp salt - 1/2 tbsp chili powder - juice from 1 lemon  To-do’s: - Preheat oven to 400°. Slice eggplants in half, lengthwise. Brush on olive oil to cover cut side and place evenly on large baking sheet. Use a fork and poke 4 - 5 times into the outside of the eggplant. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes, until inside flesh is tender. - Once cooked, scoop out inside of eggplants and place into food processor. Add in tahini, garlic, salt, chili powder, and lemon juice. Puree until smooth. (Feel free to add more spice to taste.) - Enjoy! Best when warm, serve as dip with just about anything. Keeps in the fridge about 1 week. 
Give it a try and let us know what you think! #closedloopcooking

View on Instagram

75 4

Link to display lightbox

Instagram post 2125721240919653153_7668225354

Have you read @mwelbel ‘s piece on the plastic bag ban in NYC yet? Get on it! “As education around the impact of plastic becomes more widespread, individual choices are driving the movement forward alongside policy action. All it takes to avoid single-use plastic in NYC is some preparation in advance—tossing a reusable coffee cup, water bottle, and tote in your bag in the morning, keeping utensils and a cloth napkin at your desk.The most important things is to educate yourself and be a thoughtful consumer.” And if you’re wondering where to find reusable bags for yourself, check out our shop! We’ve got organic, unbleached cotton drawstring bags to help kick your plastic grocery store shopping habits. #closedloopcooking <3 📸: by the amazing @byrainbowpink (highly recommend for all your ecom photo needs 👼)

View on Instagram

49 5

Link to display lightbox

Instagram post 2125061952192265040_7668225354

Wide zucchini noodles! 💚At a loss for what to do with all of that extra summer squash? Are your crisper drawers also filled to the brim with a variety of color, pattern, and differently sized squash that definitely seemed like a great idea at the time? You’re not alone friend. One of my favorite ways to enjoy zucchini is as a package-free noodle options. I don’t own a spiralizer or anything fancy to make these with–a reliable vegetable peeler will totally do the trick! You can add your zucchini noods to just about anything in place of noodles. Look out for a fresh recipe in the next few days to get inspired!How do you use zucchini noodles?? #closedloopcooking

View on Instagram

92 17

Link to display lightbox

Instagram post 2122065240245163844_7668225354

Carrot Top Wilty Kale Dip! Big thanks to the amazing @ole_richie for our incredible new video series! You can find this one and more on the new closedloopcooking.com 💫More often than not carrot tops and limp greens wind up in the compost or landfill. It’s easy to toss these things when you don’t know how delicious they are together! (That is Very!) Most conventional grocery stores don’t even sell carrots with their greens attached–one might think you can’t even eat them. You most certainly can. Luckily your local farmer’s market and even some grocery stores have carrot tops. Just about any vendor will happily give you all the tops you could want for free. 
Ingredients
* 2 bunches of carrot tops (You can include stems, but chop them into smaller pieces. Add a few at a time to ensure they blend. You can compost any extra.)
* 4-5 kale leaves (These can be wilty! But chop them into smaller pieces. Add a few at a time to ensure they blend. You can compost any extra.)
* 1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
* ½ cup olive oil
* 1 tbsp roasted garlic (or ½ tbsp raw)
* ½ tbsp kosher salt
* juice from 1/2 a lemonTo-Do’s
1. Wash and dry carrot tops and kale. Roughly chop into med size pieces.
2. Drop carrot tops into food processor with sunflower seeds, half of the olive oil, garlic, and salt. Pulse for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add in kale and remaining olive oil. Pulse food processor until smooth. Add lemon to taste (like loads of lemon!)
4. Enjoy! Keeps well in the fridge for about 1 – 1 ½ weeks. 
Did you try this out? Let us know! #closedloopcooking <3

View on Instagram

109 4

Link to display lightbox

Instagram post 2121350030849170598_7668225354

“Plastic bags are hallmarks of our collective laziness, our refusal to plan ahead and to consider consequences beyond our own immediate inconvenience.” H A R D T R U T H from @mayamoverman 🙌 So what is NYC doing about it?? If you haven’t read @mwelbel ‘s latest piece over on closedloopcooking.com get to reading people! She takes you on a deep dive of the statewide single-use plastic bag ban and it gets real. 💫

View on Instagram

37 8

Link to display lightbox

Instagram post 2119885128460623392_7668225354

View on Instagram

85 28

Link to display lightbox

Instagram post 2119305154724783353_7668225354

View on Instagram

88 12

Link to display lightbox

Instagram post 2109926014221477354_7668225354

Creamy Blackberry Vegan Cheesecake Bars
💜 Y’all I am tryna stay cool and get through mountains of work (hello new CLC website! coming so soon!) and use up leftover blackberries in a new way. Busy. This one may have gotten a little melty in the heat (who isn’t?) but I can assure you it was definitely enjoyed. I love the vibrant pop of color this vegan cheesecake brings to the table and topped off with a few frozen berries makes it extra special!I used leftover almond pulp to make the nutty, delicious crust. It’s a great way to use up that leftover ingredient after you’ve made almond (or your preferred) nut milk! Give it a try :DIngredients  Crust: - 1 cup almond pulp - 1/2 cup shredded coconut - 3/4 cup walnuts - approx 15 pitted dates - 2 tbsp warm water - 1 tbsp melted coconut oil - 1/4 tsp salt  Cake: - 2 cups cashews, soaked overnight - 1 1/2 - 2 cups washed blackberries - juice from 1 lemon - 1/4 tsp salt - 1 - 2 tbsp almond milk  Topping (optional): - frozen blackberries - edible lavender (I got mine from the farmer’s market)  To-do’s:
1. Get your food processor out and tell her you love her. Combine almond pulp, coconut, and walnuts and pulse until combined. Add dates, water, coconut oil, and salt and continue pulsing until a dough-ish of sorts has formed. Break up with a spatula when needed. 2. Grease a cake / pie / brownie dish with coconut oil. Next, drop in crust mixture and smooth down until flat. Put pan in the freezer for 20 minutes. 3. While crust is in the freezer, add cashews to food processor and pulse. Add in blackberries, lemon juice, salt, and 1 tbsp almond milk. Combine until smooth. If mixture looks a little thick, add in additional tbsp of almond milk. 4. Bring crust out of freezer and pour in cheesecake mixture. Smooth out using with spatula. Cover pan with a plate / clean dish towel / beeswax wrap (no plastic wrap!) and let chill in the fridge for 2 - 3 hours before serving. 5. Enjoy! This keeps well in the fridge for about a week (or 1 month in the freezer.) Top with frozen berries or edible lavender for a little special something.  Did you try this? How’d it go? Let us know! #closedloopcooking <3 Stay hungry

View on Instagram

80 1

Link to display lightbox

Instagram post 2105435971557601235_7668225354

C H A R D B O D I E S 🌿💪 The heartiest kinda bodies. Loved this little chard pattern I came up with in a moment of vegetable minded sketching. We’ve got a new Closed Loop Cooking site + look in progress, so things are a little wild on this side! 😅 Updates and more recipes to come in the next few weeks! Thanks for hanging with me, folx. Can’t wait to share new content (videos!) and more with you :DWhat are y’all cooking chard with? Someone feed me? #closedloopcooking

View on Instagram

53 5

Link to display lightbox

Instagram post 2104752227578328248_7668225354

D R I E D D I L L 🌟🌿 Early morning wafts of dehydrating dill, such a strange scent to wake up to. Sorry honey! (I did make granola though, I can understand why that was confusing.) I can’t be the only one who wishfully buys a bunch of fresh herbs with the confidence that I will use all of them, only to realize I just need half of the bunch. The other half just has to live on the counter now. Thankfully though I love dill on pretty much anything (year-round) and pulled out my dehydrator to save that other half.Dill is a tricky herb to make a chimichurri with, which is what I tend to do for a lot of my leftover herb scraps. The flavor can be a little overpowering so if you’re looking for something else to do with those tender stalks and wispy fronds, drying out your dill may be the best bet. I dry the stalks as well because they are tender enough to include in your salads, sautées, etc, and carry just as much flavor as the tops of the herb.If you asked for something other than a dehydrator for your birthday, (what else could you possibly want) chances are you may not have one. I recommend asking a friend, checking the Nextdoor app, your local Buy Nothing group, or seeing if there is a kitchen library in your neighborhood. I’m 99% sure someone will lend you one! (I haven’t tried oven drying for herbs yet, as the lowest oven temp may still be too hot. Has anyone else tried it?) What do y’all enjoy dill with!? 🌿(Everything is a totally reasonable answer.) #closedloopcooking

View on Instagram

53 1

Link to display lightbox

Instagram post 2103296766542975222_7668225354

S C R A P S U N D A Y 🌽When I was a kid, every summer my family would make the long drive from Colorado to Iowa to visit my grandparents. The endless fields of corn stalks were a familiar background to our annual visits. My grandparents had long retired from farming at that point but we spent summers visiting farms owned by their friends and endlessly fascinated by the towering stalks. There was always an excess of corn on the cob with every meal and my younger sister and I were responsible for shucking the leaves and golden silk threads off of each ear into a paper bag. We’d snap the cobs in half and drop them into salted, boiling water until they plumped up with a mosaic of bright yellow and creamy white kernels. Corn on the cob has always been one of my favorite sides.There is nothing like sweet, fresh Iowa corn but it’s pretty dang close in the PNW! I want to savor every last bit of this summer treat so leftover corn cobs are saved in the freezer to use for scrap stock. You can throw them in with your onions, onion skins, garlic, pepper pieces, and maybe a carrot or two (or whatever else you’ve got on hand.) Corn cobs add a subtle sweetness to vegetable stock and it’s a great way to get every last bit of summer flavor of out your produce!Tell me how y’all enjoy your corn on the cob! Everyone does it a little differently and I’m sure I’m not the only one who loves a nostalgic side. #closedloopcooking ✨🌽

View on Instagram

63 9

Link to display lightbox

Instagram post 2102625574043619186_7668225354

Sour cherries <3 🍒✨ These tangy little babes are only in season for a short while. Lucky for me I can find them in excess at the Portland PSU Farmer’s Market right now, without any excess plastic packaging. I may have gone a little cherry crazy y’all… I love their sweet tartness, perfect for pies, preserving, and in this case, jam! Working on making my first ever jam to enjoy the fruits of summer all through fall. Thinking of a sour cherry vanilla jam, YUM! But first I have to pit about 150 more of these! Just using a paring knife but if anyone has other suggestions, let me know!
I’m also going to test out a cherry pit liqueur with all of the leftover stones. You can bake off the excess toxins from the cherry pits before you infuse your spirits for a lovely, subtle cherry flavor. I will report back!What else would you do with sour cherries? #closedloopcooking (Also so in love with this textured plate and lovely linen from @notary__ceramics 😍)

View on Instagram

58 1

Link to display lightbox

Instagram post 2101038783025081137_7668225354

S U M M E R S A L A D S 🌞💛🥒🍅 Y’all I’ve been eating this salad for almost a week straight, everyday. (There’s a high chance I’ll continue into fall.) You might too. Lemon pepper cucumbers have a bright, citrus flavorful as the name would suggest. They are lovely, yellow spheres (unlike your typical green cucs) and wonderfully in season this time of year. Paired with the heirloom tomato, which boasts a round sweetness, the two couldn’t be better than with some light herbs, summer sweet corn, a bit of sea salt and a balsamic vinaigrette.This easy recipe is on closedloopcooking.com today! Let us know if you try it out! #closedloopcooking

View on Instagram

70 6

Link to display lightbox

Instagram post 2100312087267282605_7668225354

Lemon pepper cucumbers + heirloom tomatoes 🥒🍅🥒🍅🥒🍅 A lovely summer time produce combination. Lemon pepper cucumber is a bright flavor perfect for just about any salad, snack, or side. I love the roundness and warm yellow of this vibrant veggie! Heirloom tomatoes are finally in full swing and I am HERE for it. Bursting with a sun-ripened sweetness, it’s hard to limit yourself to just a few at the farmer’s market. Could I eat 2 - 3 tomatoes everyday for the next week? Yeah, probably. Should I try? Thinking about it…
✨
These two beauties pair well for a simple, summer salad. Check out closedloopcooking.com tomorrow for the recipe! And tell me what y’all like to do with your lemon pepper cucumbers! #closedloopcooking

View on Instagram

68 10

Link to display lightbox

Instagram post 2098906914217040727_7668225354

B L A C K B E R R Y C O M P O T E 💜This might be my new favorite pancake topping, y’all. Super simple, sweetened with backyard summer berries, and the perfect sauce for all your breakfast fancies. (We did a vegan coconut pancake with no added sugar :D )Blackberry compote
Ingredients: - ¼ cup maple syrup - ½ cup overflowing blackberries 1 tbsp vegan butter (or regular butter if you do dairy)To-do’s: 1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until butter is melted. Be careful not to let the mixture boil. 2. Once ingredients have melted together use a fork to mash up the blackberries for a loose jam-like consistency. 3. Serve warm and enjoy! This goes great on pancakes and keeps well in the fridge for 1 ½ - 2 weeks.  What else would you put this luscious goodness on?? #closedloopcooking #berrypicking

View on Instagram

82 10

Link to display lightbox

Instagram post 2096690791329357271_7668225354

Blackberry summer bounty 💜💜 Found a mass of wild blackberries along a path near our house the other day. Spent a wonderful evening picking 6 containers full of the sweetest blackberries I’ve ever had. (And fighting through brambles, totally worth it.) We didn’t even make a dent in those bushes!I’ve been looking for recipe inspiration for this plethora of berries and have some lovely #plantbased ideas in mind. Stay posted! What would y’all make with this excess of fruit?? #closedloopcooking

View on Instagram

47 5

Link to display lightbox

Instagram post 2094530245175939051_7668225354

Bruised fruit purée! 💫 What to do when you have a boxful of overripe, bruised pluots just waiting to be used? You pull out the food processor! After sorting through all of those fruits to make sure there were no moldy or inedible pieces, I washed and pitted the pluots and threw them into the food processor! You can use a fruit purée for countless dishes–I turned these juicy fruits into a bruised fruit leather in my dehydrator. (If you don’t have a dehydrator, ask a friend, check your buy nothing FB group, or see if you have access to a local kitchen share library!) Add a little bit of maple syrup and heat on the stove for a delicious fruit compote or if you’re feeling crafty, make your own jam! You could also fill an ice cube tray with the puree to drop into smoothies year-round. Those bruised fruits don’t have to go to waste!What else do you do with your overripe and imperfect fruit? #closedloopcooking ✨💜

View on Instagram

60 7

Link to display lightbox

Instagram post 2089493923122110677_7668225354

Save your herb stems! 🌱✨ Summer means basil is in season and pesto is plentiful. (A super versatile spread you can make with just about any herb.) We love a good pesto but did you know you don’t have to toss throw herb stems? Basil in particular has a heartier stem and doesn’t fare well in pesto. We save ours for an herbaceous scrap stock! The stem holds a lot of flavor and can even be used to flavor longer cooking sauces. (You can take it out at the end like you would a bay leaf.) Do y’all have other uses for your herb stems? #closedloopcooking #tiptuesday

View on Instagram

70 3

Link to display lightbox

Instagram post 2088029640173304859_7668225354

A new Closed Loop Cooking! You may have noticed it’s been a little quiet on the blog—we’ve been hard at work on a new website and new content for ya! So excited to share what’s next for CLC and continue learning with y’all. I love these weirdo strawberries (you’ll see them around more)! Keep your eyes peeled for our relaunch next month 👀 !! #closedloopcooking #foodillustration

GET FRESH NEWS, RECIPES, + HOW-TO’S DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX!

Please enter a valid email address.

SIGN UP

Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again.

Plant-based, low waste.

Closed Loop Cooking is here to help you reduce food waste and single-use kitchen items. You’ll find minimal waste, plant-based recipes, how-to’s, guides, and stories for your low impact kitchen!

Contact Us

Or drop us a line:

hello [at] closedloopcooking.com

×

This website uses cookies to provide you with the best browsing experience.

Find out more or adjust your settings.

Powered by GDPR plugin

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

disable

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

3rd Party Cookies

This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.

Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.

disable

Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!

Recipes

Summer Recipe Inspiration