What a week, friends! I've been MIA from my kitchen for the last couple days because it was my birthday and my sister is visiting.
We celebrated my old age ;P with a very special (and vegan!) pre-fixe dinner at Harvest Beat, a restaurant that sources hyper-seasonal produce from local farmers, artisans and foragers. Everything is made in-house, from scratch, and the menu changes every three weeks. They do one seating per night and everyone starts their meal at the same time. Before the courses kick off, the chef walks through each course; the inspiration behind each ingredient and pairing.
It was the most beautiful, conscientious and memorable dining experience I've ever been a part of. If you're in the neighborhood, I highly recommend checking it out. A reservation is required.
I left that dinner with a full stomach and some serious inspiration for new things to try in the kitchen.
Before that, however, I cooked and documented our meals this week. As I've said before, my "market haul" photo and meal planning have been extremely helpful during the weekly grind. They help me use my time in the kitchen efficiently and ensure nothing goes to waste.
Here's what I cooked:
Blueberry Balsamic Mozzarella Crostini
Farmers Market ingredients used: blueberries
Other ingredients used: mozzarella, baguette, balsamic vinegar
Notes:
- Super easy to throw together and delicious! Could see these making a great party appetizer.
Recipe inspiration: Half Baked Harvest

French Onion Soup
Farmers Market ingredients used: onion
Other ingredients used: veg broth, sherry vinegar, tamari, garlic, dried thyme
Notes:
- Used sherry vinegar instead of dry white wine and veg broth instead of beef b/c that's what I had on hand.
- This is a great way to use a giant onion 😉
- The steps for caramelizing the onion are spot on. Don't skimp at that stage!
Recipe inspiration: Simply Recipes
Roasted Purple Carrot & Caramelized Onion Galette
Farmers Market ingredients used: purple carrots, onion, radishes, kale stems
Other ingredients used: flour, butter, cashew cream
Notes:
- Nick said it felt like he was eating at a French farmhouse with this one. Especially paired with a quick simple purple kale side salad 👌🏽
- This was delicious and I am working on a recipe to share on the blog. Stay tuned!

Roasted Cauliflower with Chimichurri Sauce
Farmers Market ingredients used: cauliflower, radish greens
Other ingredients used: red wine vinegar, olive oil, cumin
Notes:
- Love a good chimichurri sauce!
- I broiled the cauliflower "steaks" for a similar grilled effect, without the grill!
Recipe inspiration: Dishing up the Dirt

Cucumber and Sweet Corn Gazpacho
Farmers Market ingredients used: cucumber, radish, sweet corn (from previous week)
Other ingredients used: lemon, rice wine vinegar, cashew milk, roasted shallots
Notes:
- Delicious! Summer flavors at their finest!
- Modified from recipe inspo quite a bit but as long as you don't go too heavy on garlic/onions the cucumber shines.
- This is another recipe we loved and I'll be sharing on the blog soon!
Recipe inspiration: Food and Wine
