Yum

For my first recipe post, I thought I’d share a recipe that is not only satisfying, colorful and delicious, but also near and dear to my heart! It launched me on a path to find new and exciting gluten free, vegan recipes. A few years ago (2012), I had to make a shift in my diet from vegan, to GLUTEN FREE (I swore I’d never go gluten free!!), and vegan. This was really difficult for me. Even though I had a ton of experience with creating recipes, and helping others change their diets, to be presented with my own diet crisis, was really revealing. I immediately understood, and had boundless compassion for what others that are confronted with this mandate go through! I will link more about this experience, at a later time, but let’s just say, going gluten-free rocked my world… as in, I had no idea what to eat! :0 So, one Sunday morning, I decided to go to the Farmer’s Market, because I get a lot of inspiration there! I live in Ojai, California, which is a tiny little town, nestled in a fertile valley, about 15 minutes inland from the beach. Ojai is an eclectic mix of artists, movie stars, farmers, everyday folk, and tourists, united by their love of this unique place and deep concern for it’s preservation. Our local farmer’s market is almost exclusively organic, and between the abundance of fresh fruits and veggies, the flowers, and the artisan goods, it’s a great place to get inspiration. It’s like an event! Every Sunday morning, our little town is hopping with energy as tourists, and residents converge on the farmer’s market to buy produce, dance to the Iron Mountain Boys (a bluegrass band that performs atop a vintage flatbed truck), eat fresh tamales, get a free hug from Al, and meet and greet! So it was at the vibrant scene that I found myself on a hot Sunday morning in the summer of 2012, and it was here that I found what I was looking for! ~Inspiration~! Spaghetti squash has been a favorite summer treat of mine since I was a kid and my parents grew it in our garden, and since it’s so prolific, there was an abundance of it at the market that day. I picked it up, thinking I would use it as a side dish…. to what, I didn’t know, because what else could I eat?!

…

Read More »