Farmstand Frenzy

Several days ago, I mentioned finding a farmstand that sells locally grown produce.  I can't stay away from that place!  The tomatoes are so delicious and actually TASTE like a tomato should.  The little grape tomatoes are so sweet...I've been popping them like skittles. 

I stopped by yesterday and bought zucchini, yellow squash, kirby cukes, yellow tomatoes, grape tomatoes, limes, grapefruit, canteloupe, sugar-baby watermelon, pole beans, bell peppers, cabbage, romaine lettuce, peaches and sweet onions.  I had to make two trips to the car for UNDER TWENTY BUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!

I eat enourmous amounts of raw veggies so you can imagine what a find this is for me.  I must say that the taste of food that's been on the vine until maturation beats ANTHING in the grocery store including the organic stuff.  Then again, the organic produce in the store is usually OLD. 

Do you ever just open up the fridge and make a salad out of everything?  I do it often.  In fact, some of my favorite salads were created that way.  Since I'm sitting on a veritable GOLD MINE of vitamins, minerals, antioxidents and phytonutrients, I've been making these huge bowls of chopped salad with different veggies combos.  Today's salad was particularly satisfying. 

I'm not a big fan of cooked cauliflower and broccoli.  I know...that's kind of wierd coming from someone who's largely a vegan right?  I like the taste of cooked broccoli (not cauliflower so much) fine but I can't get past that smell...kind of like a storm drain full of rotting grass clippings.  Raw on the other hand,  I just love them.  I eat them nearly everyday.  Tonight's salad takes advantage of the half head of cauliflower I had in the veggie bin.

I can't really call this a recipe...it's too simple for that.  I just chopped cauliflower and chucked it in a bowl; added petit carrots, sweet yellow onion, kirby cukes, celery, chopped radishes, diced tomato and some crumbled feta.  Feta and goat cheese are my two dairy splurges.  I never met a hunk of feta I didn't like!
Next, I just tossed it all up with some minced fresh parsley, raw apple cider vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and cracked black pepper.  I put it in one of my amazingly cool antique bowls (this one a vintage 50's piece) and served it with grilled burgers (for hubs and mom) and a homemade grilled veg burger for me.  What I liked most about this salad, other than how awesome it looks in my gorgeous bowl, was the CRUNCH!  I don't eat potato chips, pretzels and such so sometimes I really crave something crunchy.  This was perfect.  You could use anything you have in the veggie bin though.

Here are a few pics.......oh and sorry about the shadow.  It was close to 7 pm and the sun was casting a shadow across half the pic.  I thought it was kind of "artsy" so I used the pictures anyway.

I hat to step back and get a shot that shows off this incredible bubble glass bowl.