This Earth Day, we’re continuing our look at 2025 Culinary Trends and highlighting one that involves sustainability. At Parkhurst Dining, we’re working to reduce food waste by incorporating upcycled ingredients.
What are Upcycled Ingredients?
Describing something as “upcycled” means using every aspect of an ingredient. Think: Flavoring a drink with orange peels or using “nose-to-tail” or “root-to-flower” approaches. If we can use it, we will!
Byproducts, traditionally considered waste, now have a valuable place in culinary applications, supporting both environmental and economic sustainability. Zero-waste practices are gaining momentum, with restaurants and food producers rethinking how they can use every part of an ingredient to create new dishes. This not only helps reduce food waste but also opens up opportunities for culinary innovation, turning what was once considered “superfluous” into super delicious.
S’mores Compost Cookies
The S’mores Compost Cookie, known on Bard College’s campus as the “Bard Cookie,” came to be as part of a project between Parkhurst Dining and Bard College’s Office of Sustainability. We were looking for a way to help utilize products that would otherwise be considered “waste products” by upcycling them.
The coffee grounds come from our coffee brewing station and the graham crackers are leftover from the bakery. We also utilize whole wheat flour because it has a lower carbon footprint compared to traditional white flour.
As far as the cookies go, this is a very versatile recipe where the graham crackers can be switched out for potato chips, pretzels, or anything else you can think of or want in a cookie!
Follow along below with Chef Jake from Bard to learn how to make the S’mores Compost Cookie yourself!
