If you are eating seasonally sometimes it is hard to keep the meals interesting. I have to admit that for the last three weeks I have eaten some version of tomato/eggplant/okra for lunch and part of the reason I have not gotten tired of it is because I keep playing with flavors on top of the base.
The meal featured here starts with a savory quinoa where I pre-toasted the quinoa (simmered it in oil until it popped a bit, giving it a more nutty taste)cooked it in vegetable broth and added sungold tomatoes for the last 3-5 minutes of cooking so they stayed firm.
We have too much cucumber coming out of our garden and I am kind of sick of it but there are still ways to make it seem new. These are thick cucumber slices tossed in a sauce of lemon juice agave and mint (about a teaspoon or two of each) then chilled while the rest is cooked. It comes out sweet with a cool zing that is very refreshing.
Usually I make this succotash type meal i use balsamic vinegar and try to accent the summer flavors. In an effort to do something new I sauteed in coconut oil and added shredded coconut. In place of the balsamic I went with rice vinegar and added in powdered ginger to go for a more Asian flavor. First brown together the onions, bell pepper and okra then toss in thinly sliced Japanese eggplant (thin makes it cook faster). Chopped tomatoes go in last with an extra dash of olive oil (1 Tbs), minced basil and garlic and get put on lower heat until it becomes saucy and delicious.
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