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How to Eat in a Drought

Water conservation. It's kind of a big deal. Here's how cooking can help.
  • Three slices of maple roasted tomato toast with goat cheese and mint.
    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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  • Image may contain Plant Food and Produce
    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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  • Image may contain Dinner Supper Food Meal Roast and Turkey Dinner
    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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  • Broccoli Slaw with Miso Ginger Dressing
    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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  • Image may contain Burger and Food
    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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  • Image may contain Plant Food Produce and Vegetable
    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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  • Image may contain Dish Food Meal and Stew
    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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  • Image may contain Food Dish Meal Plant Lunch and Produce
    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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