After camping I haven't been making many dishes since I had leftovers for what seemed like ever! I ate bowl after bowl of that awesome chili and forgot to tell you about my other pre-made camping dish!

Camping is traditionally considered a meat and potato event, you grill steaks and burgers and hot dogs, eat chips and drink beer. I have been on many a camping trip where only those things were brought and breakfast, lunch, and dinner consisted of hot dogs washed down with more hot dogs. Since I like to eat healthy and am a vegetarian I was determined to create a few dishes for non-meat eaters or those who didn't want to only consume ground beef.

My veggie chili was perfect for the cold nights we encountered but my Roasted Eggplant, Chickpea and Quinoa salad was an amazing and diverse meal that retained its flavor and was equally as delicious served warm or cold.

When creating dishes I often try to go with a theme or flavor profile that incorporates all of the things that I love. Therefore, this dish combined sunflower seeds, dates, cumin, roasted eggplant, lemon and a new delight, that John from Royal Acres Farm insisted I try - celery greens! I also threw in some Parmesan cheese but it was completely optional.

Overall, the salad was hearty to make you feel satisfied when camping but light enough so that you could take a hike after eating it. I hope that you enjoy!

Roasted Eggplant, Chickpea, Date, and Quinoa Salad with Celery Greens

4 cups of Eggplant, cubed

2 cups of Quinoa

4 cups of Water

2 tbs Cumin

4 tbs Olive Oil

1 tsp Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

1 cup Sunflower Seeds

1 cup Dates, chopped

2 cans Chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup Celery Greens, lightly chopped

1 Lemon, juiced

Parmesan Cheese and Additional Sunflower Seeds for Garnish

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cube eggplant and toss with 2 tbs olive oil, sea salt and cumin. Spread onto a baking sheet and roast for 30 - 40 minutes until browned and cooked through.

Meanwhile, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the 2 cups of quinoa, reducing to simmer and covering. Cook until water is absorbed then fluff with rice.

Combine the eggplant, quinoa, sunflower seeds, chickpeas, dates, and celery greens in a large bowl. Add 2 tbs of olive oil and the juice of 1 lemon, tossing to combine. Season with salt to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan and additional sunflower seeds and enjoy!

Summer is officially coming to an end. The nights are getting cooler, the days are getting shorter and the produce is changing! In an attempt to hold on to summer I have been making salads like crazy! Grilled eggplant and tomato salad, sweet corn and radish salad, chickpea salad, really any salad in which I can throw the flavors of summer into a bowl and memorize their taste. For sooner than I care to think of, those flavors will be missing and we will be back to root vegetables - all. the. time.

Today I saw this beautiful purple eggplant from Royal Acres Farm just sitting in my fridge wilting away and knew that it needed to be spiced, grilled and consumed pronto. I love grilled eggplant, it sweetens the flesh, and imparts a smokiness that I like to draw out with smoked paprika. It is also the perfect base for topping! From tomatoes and hot peppers to this amazing chickpea, cucumber and okra salad enhanced with lemon juice and a touch of tahini.

The best part for me, is that the first half became my dinner and the second half was blended into baba ganoush for lunch the next day. What a treat to enjoy that creamy spread, if you have never tried it I highly recommend giving it a go.

Summer is coming to a close so make sure to absorb that sunshine and eat the freshest vegetables you can get, savoring each sweet and savory bite. Enjoy and healthy eating!

Grilled Eggplant with Chickpea, Cucumber and Okra Salad

1 Eggplant, halved lengthwise

4 tbs Olive Oil

1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika

Pink HImalayan Sea Salt

1 Tomato, chopped

1 Cucumber, chopped

1/2 Onion, diced

2 cloves Garlic, minced

1 Red Pepper (i used a hot Italian but a sweet pepper would be fine), chopped

1 can Chickpeas, drained

1 ear of Corn, removed from the ear

5 pods of Okra

1 tbs of Cajun Seasoning

1 Lemon, juiced

1 tbs Oregano (dried or fresh)

1/4 cup Tahini

2 tbs Water

Preheat the grill, coat the eggplant in olive oil, 1 tbs per side. Sprinkle with smoked Paprika and some sea salt. Grill over medium high heat until browned and the flesh is tender.

In a small bowl, toss okra, a drizzle of olive oil and the cajun seasoning.Grill until browned.

Meanwhile in a large bowl combine the tomato, cucumber, onion, garlic, pepper, corn, and chickpeas. Toss with 1 tbs of olive oil, a sprinkle of sea salt, juice from half of the lemon and the oregano.

In a small container, combine the tahini, the juice from the other half of the lemon, the water and a little salt.

Place the eggplant on a plate, top with the chickpea and cucumber salad, drizzle the tahini sauce over top, sprinkling with parsley and adding the grilled okra. Enjoy!