How to Eat in a Drought

Water conservation. It's kind of a big deal. Here's how cooking can help.

By The Epicurious Editors

August 12, 2015

Photo by Tara Donne, food and prop styling by Ali Nardi
1/9
Maple-Roasted Tomato Toast with Goat Cheese and Mint
One more reason to love tomatoes: Unlike some other water-gulping vegetables, [tomatoes can thrive in relatively dry environments] (http://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/some-vegetables-require-less-water-others), making them a smart choice when water is scarce. The ricotta and maple syrup? Those are added bonuses.
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Photo by Romulo Yanes
2/9
Eggplant, Green Olive, and Provolone Pizza
How do you improve on a good, cheesy pizza? When you grill it and top it with smoky eggplant (a drought-friendly vegetable), it's certainly a good start.
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Michael Stadler
3/9
Roast Chicken with Carrots
A serving of lamb requires 677 gallons of water. A serving of beef? 850 gallons. But chicken only needs 133 gallons per serving. So, you know, eat more chicken.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Michelle Gatton, prop styling by Alyssa Pagano
4/9
Broccoli Slaw With Miso-Ginger Dressing
One-bowl dishes are great for saving water, because fewer dishes mean less water for clean up. And this salad skips lettuce, which uses a lot of water to wash.
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Photo by Romulo Yanes
5/9
Black-Bean Burgers
Beans pack a lot of protein and grow well in even the driest conditions (take that, beef). To get an amped up burger flavor, use cumin and cayenne in the mix.
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Ture Lillegraven
6/9
White Beans and Charred Broccoli with Parmesan
This salad gets its heartiness from charred broccoli and white beans, both of which don't require as much water as other vegetables.
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Hans Gissinger
7/9
Portuguese Chicken
Instead of simmering in lots of water, this one-pot Portuguese classic cooks in port and red wine. And that's a sacrifice we're completely okay with.
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8/9
Chicken with Figs in Ras-el-Hanout and Couscous
What makes this delicious? The sweet-and-savory combination of chicken and figs. What makes it good for water conservation? The couscous, which uses much less water than pasta.
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David Cicconi
9/9
Strawberries in Sambuca
If you're trying to conserve water, shy away from creamy desserts (just a glass of milk takes 52 gallons to make) and opt for this beauty instead.
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