I’m not a big meal planner per se—I like going to the farmer’s market with an open-mind, talking to the vendors about what’s good and finding new or different ingredients to cook with. Some of my best dishes were created without any recipes, just intuitive cooking. Friends and family ask what I cook during the week or when I’m not documenting my recipes, so I thought I’d share! Here’s what I bought at the market this week and how I plan to use the ingredients.

Delicata squash Lately I’ve been obsessed with this squash. It’s so sweet and tender when roasted; I love mixing it into a simple salad. To prepare, cut the squash in half, remove the seeds and slice into half-inch pieces (you don’t have to remove the skins which is a major plus!). Toss with olive or avocado oil, salt to taste and roast at 400 F for about 20 minutes (check halfway and rotate). I placed the squash on a bed of greens (romaine or arugula) and drizzled everything with a lemon-tahini dressing (whisk together 3 tablespoons tahini, juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 tablespoon olive oil and a few tablespoons of water to thin out the dressing until it can be easily drizzled). Top everything with walnuts and fresh parsley or cilantro. You could also add some sliced apples or pomegranate arils, but the squash is sweet on it’s own.

Butternut squash for this mac n’ cheese.

Cheddar Cauliflower is super tender and adds a beautiful color to any dish. Cut into florets, roast at 400 F for about 15-20 minutes, or until browned and tender; rotate the pan halfway through cooking. I tossed the cauliflower into this pasta. You could squeeze some citrus/zest over the top and sprinkle it with some herbs to serve as a side or mix into a salad.

Japanese sweet potatoes are my favorite type of sweet potatoes. I slice them into 1-inch pieces, toss with olive or avocado oil and roast at 400 F for about 20 minutes or until golden and tender (rotate and toss halfway through cooking). I usually toss the roasted potatoes in a salad with avocado, chickpeas, sauteed zucchini or roasted cheddar cauliflower and a parsley vinaigrette.

Green & Yellow Zucchini to saute in a pan—cut into 1/2 inch rounds (you can half the rounds if the zuchinni is too thick) cook on one side on medium heat until the edged start to brown, flip over and repeat on the second side. Mix into a salad with sauteed mushrooms, jarred roasted red peppers, capers, chickpeas, avocado and a dijon vinaigrette (you can leave out the shallots if you like). or to toss in this pasta.

Peppers to make a mirepoix for soup or add to any sauce or saute on top of salads.

Purple potatoes (or any potatoes will work), tomatoes & green beans to make this nicoise salad.

Apples to eat as a snack with some almond butter or sliced on top of salads, or to make this apple galette.

Avocados to slice and put on top of salads, roasted veggies, eat plain with sea salt, pepper and olive oil—also good with sliced tomatoes and basil.

Lemons to add acidity to dishes—I usually put lemon in my salad dressings or squeeze on top of roasted veggies. You could also make a pesto.

Pomegranates to make this pomegranate and pistachio toast or to sprinkle on top of salads or eat plain as a snack.

Strawberries are still at the markets in southern California! I put them in a smoothie or eat plain as a snack.

Arugula and French romaine lettuce to make salads tossed with roasted veggies, legumes (chickpeas, lentils, navy beans), grains (millet, quinoa, rice), nuts or seeds (walnuts, pepita seeds, hemp seeds or sunflower seeds) and vinaigrette.

Parsley to add to pasta dishes, on top of roasted veggies, parsley vinaigrette or parsley herb sauce to drizzle over anything (in a blender or food processor combine juice of one lemon, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, one minced garlic clove and about 1/4 cup of olive oil).

Spinach to add to smoothies or saute in some olive oil and garlic with a squeeze of lemon.