Love my local organic farmers and the Saturday morning market in my master-planned community.

No worries; if it rains, they deliver. Well, not during a hurricane or tropical storm.

The colors of the produce—all set out in boxes for us to wander the booth—entice us to step in a little closer. There are the usual I recognize, yet I never knew some come in a variety of colors. Carrots, radishes, potatoes, in rainbow colors, or variations of a theme. And the unusual foods—I am in awe of the huge jackfruit, the prickles of the pinkish dragon fruit, the hairy dark red rambutan, the loquats, and others.

Zucchini, Yellow Squash, and Shitake {Recipe}

I was cooking for only one and no leftovers, so please add as needed.

Ingredients for the cooked portion:

• Zucchini: Mine was really rotund, so I used a third.
• Yellow squash: Half of it.
• Shitake mushrooms:  5 or 6, maybe 7.
• Hot pepper: Most of the pepper—I wanted the heat; saved ¼ for the raw portion.
• Red bell pepper: Probably a third, maybe a smidgen more.
• Cauliflower: The last of these vegetables, so not too much.
• Ginger: Half of the human thumb size.
• Black sesame seeds: Sprinkle away.
• Cardamom seeds: I used one tiny tea-stirring spoon.
• Sesame oil: Not too much.

Ingredients for the cooked portion:

• Radishes: I used 4 (red, pink, purple, and a white one).
• Hot pepper: The remaining quarter from the one used in cooking.
• Red bell pepper: A few pieces from the one above.
• Cauliflower:  A small amount from the head above.

Dipping sauce for the raw veggies (optional):

• Vegan mayo: about a tablespoon; I used Veganaise made with grapeseed oil.
• Lime: ¼ of one.
• Lemon: ¼ of a very large lemon, more like half of a regular one.
• Curry: to taste; I used the entire tiny spoon.
• Black pepper: to taste; I went a little less generous than I normally do

Method:

1. Clean all produce. Be delicate with the ‘shrooms—brush with a damp cloth. Wash all the remaining, I use distilled white vinegar cut with water. Clean with love.

2. Start chopping everything. You can be precise if that works for you, or go wild. Perfection is overrated, in my humble opinion. Chop with love.

3. In a large pan put the sesame oil, or oil of choice, or none. Let it heat for a minute, add the chopped, grated, or minced ginger, black sesame seeds, and cardamom seeds. Delight in the smells—they will hit your nose in about 1-3 minutes. Close your eyes and take a deep inhale, expand the abdomen out, and with a slow exhale, let the belly come back in.

4. Add the ‘shrooms, cook about 5-6 or so minutes, then add in this order if it pleases you: hot pepper > red bell pepper > cauliflower > zucchini > yellow squash.

5. Make the dipping sauce for the raw veggies, if using. In a small glass bowl add vegan mayo, juice of the lemon and lime, curry powder, and black pepper. Stir. I used the same tiny spoon from a set gifted to me.

6. Plate the raw veggies either separately from the dish used for the cooked portion, or all on one plate.

7. Plate the cooked veggies. Smile.

Remember to give gratitude—a little love can travel and a lot of love can have a ripple effect around the planet. Dig in, enjoy, and smile.

Fun fact: Zucchini packs more potassium than—drum roll, please, can you guess? Yes. Bananas!

~ 

Bonus recipe: Chunky Smashed Potatoes with ‘Shrooms. {Recipe}

For a whole bunch of delicious recipes, scroll through my author page.