I have decided to join the ranks of hundreds of other vegan bloggers for a month packed full of writing, vegan deliciousness and more writing. It’s called Vegan MoFo and you have landed right at the beginning. It starts today. If you are interested in finding other participating blogs you can view the blogroll here.

During the month of September, I will be writing at least 20 posts highlighting a variety of children in my life and the vegetables and vegetable dishes they love. I will also throw in several posts with actual school lunches I make for Lena, today’s child. Maybe you will find a few new ideas to try with the children in your life.

Today we start with 3-year old Lena who also happens to be my Vegetable Lover of the Month.

I take care of and cook for Lena and her family three days a week and love spending time with her. Lena loves to sing, read, dance and spend time outside. She also has a great appetite for life and for food. I love being able to share meals with her because she truly loves real whole food. She sometimes plows through her kale before touching anything else on the plate.

Lena loves so many different vegetables that in the interest of short-ish posts, she may show up twice this month. Last week she had the idea of making an onion crisp after I explained that onions get really sweet after cooking them for a long time. The recipe is still in development, but I hope to have it for you within a few weeks.

Some of her favorites:

  • steamed red radishes and daikon chunks
  • steamed cauliflower and green beans
  • blanched green cabbage
  • sour red cabbage
  • blanched or oil-sautéed kale or collard greens
  • collard green rolls
  • vegetable jam
  • blanched carrot sandwiches:  2 cooked carrot rounds cut thin with a bean spread in the middle
  • veggie moon rolls
  • almost any puréed vegetable soup including cauliflower, carrot and winter squash
  • nishime
  • baked sweet potato

In Lena’s words:  “Can you hear me crunch?”