contest post to get your rainbow food fix for the day by seeing all of the entries and enjoy her yummy barley soup!Happy Monday everyone! I think we are all getting close to a new normal after a crazy few weeks, but nothing can quite brighten up the start of a new week like @lenasveganliving's #fruitsandveggiesmonday. Check out the
Today I am highlighting one of my favorite vendors at the farmers market--Straight From The Backyard Farm. There are really so many wonderful local farms represented at my market (rated one of the best in the state, how lucky am I?). Going consistently almost every Saturday this year has really helped me get to know a little bit more about each of them. They all bring some amazing produce to the table (literally), but I am especially fond of that one.
Lynn and her crew run a fairly small farm a little ways outside of Atlanta. They are not certified organic, but would just about meet the requirements if it didn't cost so much to get certified. I have had people ask before if I trust the quality of the produce from the market that they aren't using a bunch of pesticides and unnatural methods to scrape up a crop. I absolutely stand behind these small farmers. Take one look at Lynn's hands and see the sweat dripping off her brow every weekend trying to get her stand set up and sell her delicious vegetables and you can see the hard work that she puts in to just trying to keep afloat. It has been a tough year with some of the crazy weather we have had, so she had to miss about 3 weeks of the market which she said never happens.
Besides just wanting to support folks that bust their tails every day and keep my money local, the food just speaks for itself. I have been so inspired this year with all of the bounty I have been fortunate enough to bring to my table. Between wanting to bring my best to Lena's wonderful contest or wanting to do the seasonal veggies justice, I feel like I have put out some truly life-giving and beautiful meals on my table this year. It's all credit to the local farmers.
Ok, I promised I would actually feed you today, so I'm going to share two meals that were largely composed of things I bought from this one vendor. The first is a re-make on my Summer Vegetable Curry that I shared for a previous Monday. It was so tasty the first time around and just really put to use the best of the season as far as produce goes. I made a few small changes, but mostly stuck with the original recipe.
I omitted the bell peppers to make more room for these tender and sweet white zucchini they had this time around.
And instead of the pasta (don't worry, I do have pasta for you next), I finally used the spaghetti squash hybrid that I got from the same stand a few weeks prior. I can't for the life of me remember what she called it, but it is a cross between spaghetti squash and acorn squash. The flavor was fantastic! Definitely a little bit sweeter than usual spaghetti squash, and with the coconut milk and spices it almost tasted buttery. Yep, we vegans aren't missing anything in our delicious food. I also used the pressure cooker to make it, and wow that is so much easier than trying to cut it raw and then roast it. Took a little bit to figure out the exact timing, but I will absolutely be using it to cook more of my seasonal squash.
I also added some tatsoi for this version, because you can never have too many leafy greens in your meal plan! I have gotten that a few times from them now and hope they have some for at least a few more weeks. It's quite tender and mild, with a little crunch from the small stems. I'd say kind of like a mix between bok choy and spinach.
This week I also put together a meal from their offerings. I promised pasta, so more green lentil pasta is on the menu! The lentil and other bean varieties of pasta are such a good option when you really want that texture but still want to keep it healthy. They are packed with fiber and plant-based protein, and many options are also gluten-free. There are some similar veggies in this one, as well as continuing the curry spice theme.
I tend to trust most veggies that bugs like, so you can tell from looking at the bok choy the little guys really enjoy taking nibbles. I still may get freaked out if I grab one with a bug still attached, but I realize from working in our own garden that when you use natural growing methods you are going to have a certain amount of critters to share your meal with. 😉
The other vegetables besides the bok choy included vibrant yellow zucchini and a broccoli/broccolini cross. That's another wonderful reason to shop your local market--you'll find things that you'll never come across in the grocery store!
Curried Vegetable Lentil Pasta
- 1 bunch broccoli or broccolini, broken into spears or florets
- 2 small zucchini, chopped
- 1 bunch bok choy, greens and stems chopped
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 (10-ounce) package lentil pasta (or your favorite type)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari or liquid aminos
- 3 tablespoons organic rice wine vinegar
- broccoli sprouts to serve
Heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place your broccoli on one sheet pan and your zucchini on another. Sprinkle both with equal amounts of the curry powder. Place in the oven and cook for 5 minutes.
Remove the zucchini from the oven and add the bok choy to the pan. Place back in the oven and cook for an additional 10 minutes. When all of the vegetables are cooked to your liking remove and place in a large bowl.
Meanwhile, cook your pasta according to package directions. Drain and add to the cooked vegetables.
Mix up the ginger through vinegar to make a sauce. Poor over top of your pasta and mix everything together. Serve with broccoli sprouts for that extra punch of nutrition. You can't go wrong with broccoli 2 ways!
This was a bit of a long post, but I think it captured the pure joy I get from incorporating all of these life-giving vegetables into my weekly meals. I wish you all a fantastic week filled with lots of fruits and veggies to keep you healthy and happy!
Where is my invitation for the dinner? What is your location, maybe I will join.
Haha, I'm always happy to set another place at the table. ;)
Upvoted.
Thanks @yehey!
Cheers to you
It must be healthy and delicious from its look @plantsoplanks 😉 I'm not a vegan but I like the organic vegetables. Can we subtitute the vinegar with lemon juice? I think I can use noodle instead of pasta 😊 thanks for sharing and I love the pictures!
All the yummy local veggies don't need much to be turned into a wonderful meal! The beautiful thing about cooking is that you can make adjustments based on what you have on hand or what is in season, so use this as a base and feel free to adjust how you like! I'm sure the lemon juice would be just as tasty. Enjoy!
and you know what? I can prepare my own curry paste too.. because we got everything in all seasons here in Indonesia, thank you
Both your curry and pasta dish look amazing! You are very lucky to get such quality, well grown local vegetables. I always go to my local market every week to get the freshest veggies, but I don't see such interesting varieties like your cute orange zucchinis and broccolini cross.
Inspired cooking, thank you for sharing it with us!
I'm glad they appeal to you, as well! Just when I think I have tried everything, I seem to find something new. They definitely have all of the usual suspects, as well, but it is fun to try something even slightly different than the norm. The only bummer is some of it is only available for a short season, so I have to grab it when I can. Thanks for popping by!
Those yellow/orange(?) zucchinis are so cute, I've never seen them before! You truly are lucky to be able to find all these gems from a local farmers' market! And your creations, wow! Such colorful plates full of delicious food, yum! Some people even say vegan food is boring... Definitely not! 😋
Most of my stuff is fairly simple, but definitely no boredom around here. :) I don't think I realized how many different summer squashes there are! Last week I got the white zucchini and then this week the golden ones just popped out of the basket waiting for me to buy them. So much fun to shop and then create!
This made me think about one thing. I don't have children, but I could imagine that going to farmers' market and buying all those fun, colorful veggies could be a great way to get picky children eat their vegetables! If we as adults get this excited, I can only imagine how thrilled little children would be, haha!
Btw, summer squash isn't something I use all the time in the kitchen. I had no idea either that it can come in some many different colors, shapes and sizes!
Oh I know! I need to start getting my sister to bring my niece for a trip so she can start learning where food comes from. I have a friend who brings her nephew on occasion (I think he's 7?). She usually tells him he can pick out one thing that he wants to get. Not too long ago we were shopping the market together with him along and she thought he would opt for berries or something sweet. Nope, he wanted pearl onions and proceeded to eat them raw as we walked along! Too funny.
I have not always been a summer squash fan in years past, but I am learning more and more ways to incorporate it. It grows like weeds in my part of the world, so we kind of have to use it or waste all that abundance. :)
Haha, that's so funny! Actually I liked to eat raw onions as a child as well! Always when my mom was cooking and chopping an onion, she shouted my name, and I ran to the kitchen to have some pieces of raw onion, haha.
It's always lovely to see and hear that people are exploit local produce! :)
This post was shared in the Curation Collective Discord community for curators, and upvoted and resteemed by the @c-squared community account after manual review.
Thanks so much for the support!
Yes, yes, yes, and so much yes in this post. It’s good to see you @plantstoplanks and it’s great to see this recipe. Your farmers market hauls are always pretty impressive- love the local veggies that you don’t find in your neighborhood Vons (do you have Vons in Atlanta?). Definitely salivating on this dish- keep em coming. Btw, the produce with the critters still on it tells me I picked the best one. Yay 💃💃 victory dance. Haha.
Haha, thanks! No Vons here. The big two are Kroger and Publix, but then we also have plenty of Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Trader Joe's. Oh, and Aldi. Yeah, we gotta lotta grocery stores (and that doesn't even include Walmart and Target). The farmers market beats them all, though! I might be a little sad come winter time, but until then I'm frolicking in the vegetable garden of Eden...
Haha… frolics away little grasshopper. Last week I copped hummus, almonds, walnuts, fruits, pickled things and of course veggies at the farmers market and decided I need to slow my role. I spent an easy 60 bucks 🤷🏼♀️ Shhh… my husband probably thinks more like 40. But we pay for what we eat (or how does the adage go?). Haha.
P.s. TJs is the shizz!
It's so easy for things to add up, but I'm definitely with you. I would much rather spend the money on good quality food that I enjoy than on medication because I eat 💩 and don't take care of myself.
For sure- the theory is if I spend a tincy bit more on my nutrition, I’ll hopefully spend much much less on my “health care” bill. Whatever health care means anymore.
We are very fortunate to eat the way we do… I can’t wait to try all of the produce all over the world… first stop Bali and I’ve been reading about some interesting fruits they have goin on over there :)
Oh I can't wait to see what you find!
🤙
Delicious autumn meals! I'm sure I would love both of them. I enjoy seeing all those fresh veggies that you're using! You should be set as an example for many people. I don't know anybody else who uses so many veggies :)
Thank you for sharing and good luck with the contest!
Thank you my friend! I still wish we could figure out a way to share food virtually because what a pot-luck that would be! It makes my heart happy to be among such wonderful people on here that share and appreciate my veggie love. :)
Hi plantstoplanks,
Visit curiesteem.com or join the Curie Discord community to learn more.
Humbled by the visit as always! Thank you so much for the support!
oh my, my Katie...Yikes these look amazing!! I haven't found tatsoi...but it sounds really delicious, crunchy and tasty, paired with the sauce, Well done my friend, another super Monday recipe from you, you always inspire me! Congrats on the Curie, well deserved!!
Thank you so much!! With all of the craziness over the past few weeks I wanted to bring an extra special post to Lena's table to spread the postivity of beautiful healthy food all around. It's wonderful to get that little bump so that even more people can see it and hopefully be inspired to make some of their own!
Your dinner looks like very delicious and healthy, this is the best part.
Yes, indeed! Fresh, local food is so wonderfully tasty and good for us. Just a few little accents is all that is needed to create a fantastic meal. :)
Fantastic autumn recipe with all the local goodies. It can't get any better Katie and I love the way you photographed it. The yellow on white background looks amazing, just the way I like it. Congratulations on your big upvote, well deserved my Dear 🍒 🍌🍑🌿🍍🍓🍇
Thank you so much my dear Lena!! I had a feeling you would enjoy this one. I was sitting on the re-make of the curry for a week or so now just because I wanted to do it justice with a thorough post. I was shocked at how well the photos came out, but so happy that they actually match just how good those fresh veggies tasted. Happy to see a good turnout this week again, too!
to me if I liked these types of food like bok choy that plant likes a lot to the Chinese and as I work with them I have already tasted it is very tasty the flavor remains in the white and juicy part. very beautiful eating healthy there are many people in the world who do not eat vegetables and do not know how healthy eating them I congratulate you @plantstoplanks I liked it a lot with the post you did it made me return the time XD I really love these dishes more if they do the Chinese they cook very tasty I imagine that you know about them because of the tattoo that comes out in the photo a lot of love and peace @neymarth10
Thank you for the kind comment @neymarth10! I am not well-traveled (yet), but I do enjoy pulling inspiration from all different cuisines. Bok choy is such a delicious vegetable, and you are right that all parts of it are wonderful to eat. The first time I had it was definitely in a more traditional Chinese dish, so it is a very yummy part of that food culture for sure!
Gimme da fod!
I wanna eat!
I'm hungry!
Include da drinks!
I'm thirsty!
I am starving!!!
Haha, I'll bring the food but you bring the drinks. That's always the rule in our household. ;)
Oh really?
I can only afford water.
So, I'll bring a barrel of water to make sure all are satisfied with the drinks.
Wait, I'll start filling the barrel with water now.
See yah!
Great post and the recipes look delicious!
I stumbled across my fare share of farmers during my travels and often heard how expensive it is to get certified and a lot of them pretty much meet the requirements and care so much about the quality of their produce, but it is just not commonly known that it is all almost organic.
Thank you so much for supporting these farmers with your dollars and especially drawing the attention of the Steemit community towards them. 😉
Isn't that so crazy that the farmers have to sacrifice so much to be certified as organic, when the big agriculture can spray poisonous pesticides and commit so many atrocities against nature and they don't have to speak for themselves?? What the local farmers produce is just good, clean food as it should be. I'm sure there a few less transparent ones in the bunch, but everyone I have spoken with is very open and honest about their practices. You don't get a market stall for one day a week, haul all your produce yourself, and sit out in the sun for hours at a time to try to swindle people for money. The big companies do that.
I love many things about my country, but our food system is broken and it makes me so angry and sad. I am more than happy to do what I can with my little wallet to try to fix the system. I am also more than happy to try to inspire others to do the same!
It most definitely is crazy, but I am sure a lot of the requirements for the organic label are super important since otherwise more unconscious, profit-based companies would use it for putting still poisonous stuff out there for their own good.
Nevertheless, t is not very helpful that the process is way too expensive for the small farmers. So I am also a big fan of just talking to the farmers and getting to know how they treat their produce. Most of the time, you get a pretty good idea about their true intentions which are mostly very honorable and show their passion for healthy foods instead of cold profits.
Again, such a great post, thank you so much! 💚
Delicious! :)
Happy to keep you well fed dear. ;)
Thanks so much for sharing!! I appreciate it!
This is wonderful food as usual. I love all of the dishes you create with lovely veggies. So tasty and healthy.
Thanks so much Carolyn! All of you keep inspiring me to create more every week!
Thank you for such healthy and easy recipe, it seems like you use oven so everything remains just cooked with heat and the forms of vegetables remains as they are, my son does not like when sometimes in WOK the veg's lose their form, so I use often steam cooker and then prepare separately sauce. I love curry and a little bit of garlic too.
Wonderful post and I like when such recipe posts have a lot of details because while cooking you want to have the same result as on the photograph :)
Thank you for stopping by to check it out! I tend to like my vegetables with a little texture left too them, so I probably agree with your son! I cooked the broccolini separate specifically to make sure I could get it to the softness I wanted without overcooking the squash or bok choy. :)
I don't always remember to take a lot of photos, but I'm glad that with these I had plenty to share with you!
oh that looks delicious, like all of you, I congratulate you on the Curie Prize!
Aww, I appreciate it @proanima!
That look soo delicious! I've never cooked using bok choy before-need to get more experimental with my veggies! 😀
Oh it is so yummy! I think you would definitely enjoy it. :)
I have never seen an orange zucchini before, the color is much more vibrant than I had thought it would be (before you peeled it), this must have been a great find!
I love how simple and easy to put together this dish was, I am sure it was delicious 😋 . You clearly enjoy being vegan, this was a really great read!
I'm glad my joy comes through in my posts! Over the years I have just developed a love for good, clean food, so I'm happy to have an outlet to share and come together with so many like-minded folks all over!
That zucchini really was so pretty! I'm amazed sometimes the things that pop up and how creative mother nature can be. Thanks so much for taking the time to check out my post!
An amazing love you have there!
Oh yeah, things we never though existed. There is definitely so much that we haven't seen yet!