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 contest post to get your rainbow food fix for the day by seeing all of the entries and enjoy her yummy barley soup!

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!

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