Hey... that looks familiar!

While I really enjoy making fresh things, I have to be realistic about food spoilage. So, today and for a few days I am likely to have variations on a very familiar theme. Lunch is chilled Parsley soup - refreshing since it is 100 degrees out - a whole wheat bread muffin and a green salad with cucumber, tomato and homemade light blue cheese dressing.

Dinner is a bit more adventurous. I aimed to stay mostly within fasting limitations for Dan, so I made baked sweet potato with a sprinkle of olive oil, sugar and cinnamon; marinated cucumbers from the local farmer's market; fresh organic broccoli with a bit of olive oil for flavor; and one of our meat- and dairy-less staples, mushrooms (oyster, shitake and baby "bellas") sauteed with garlic and onion in olive oil and then simmered in white wine. This dish has the advantage of giving someone accustomed to eating meat the feeling of a meatier, heavier food (not to mention a bit of protein) when meat is not a dietary option. I garnished the plate with strawberries for that finishing touch.