This zucchini "pasta" dish began as an experiment when making dinner for our good friends Peter and Susan Corning of Synergy Farm and evolved into a yummy zucchini salad that can also be used as a filling to make vegetable sushi. I'm always delighted to see how a recipe grows and changes, and becomes something unique.

This salad can be eaten as is just by tossing all the ingredients together (minus the collard greens) in a large bowl. This is the quick and easy version, to serve with your favorite greens. Or use as a filling with collards (or other greens) to make tasty bundled sushi. It's also fun to eat both sushi and salad together for a lovely lunch or dinner. Add some soup, or your favorite bread, and you've got a filling meal.

Ingredients (Serves 2-4)
2 cups zucchini angel hair "pasta"
6 collard leaves trimmed to about 6 by 6 inches square
(Note: lettuce, spinach, or Napa cabbage leaves will work well too.)
6 slices red bell pepper
6 avocado slices
1 cup tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/4 cup carrot ribbons, optional
4 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
4 tablespoons green onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cashews, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil, or Spectrum walnut oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (optional)
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning herb mix
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper, or a shake of cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic, pressed
chive leaves to bind sushi

Directions
Rinse all veggies and drain.
Remove thick stem from collard leaves, and cut to size, about 6 by 6 inches. (Use leftover leaves and stems in smoothies or juice.)
Make carrot ribbons by running a veggie peeler up and down the carrot with even pressure without stopping. Set aside.
Put zucchini into Saladacco, with blade set to make angelhair pasta. If you don't have a Saladacco, grate zucchini, or cut into matchsticks sized pieces.
Transfer zucchini to large bowl.
Dice tomatoes, and chop celery, green onions, and basil leaves. Add to zucchini. Strip thyme leaves from stems (run thumb and forefinger along stem starting at the top, moving down). Add to bowl, along with carrot ribbons, and mix all ingredients lightly.
Chop cashews.
Put oil, salt, pepper, herbs, and garlic into small bow. Mix.
Pour over zucchini and veggies, tossing to evenly coat.
This is the salad, now ready to eat. To make sushi, continue:

Place about 4 tablespoons of zucchini mix onto each collard leaf along with 1-2 avocado slices and a red bell pepper slice, and wrap tightly. Bind with chive leaf.
Sprinkle on cashews, a little extra Italian Seasoning herbs, and salt and pepper.

Thick and Creamy Sundried Tomato Dipping Sauce or Dressing
Ingredients:
1/4 cup pure water
1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
6 sundried tomatoes
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons green onions, finely sliced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar-or lemon juice if you can't use vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt

Place all ingredients into blender or Vitamix and blend until smooth and creamy. Transfer to small dipping bowls.

It's been a quiet week here on the island. We were able to catch a bit of sun while taking a walk along False Bay Road, so named because the early explorers ran aground when sailing into the seemingly idyllic looking bay, only to discover that the water was only a few feet deep.

We walked past pastures with barns, and magical birch groves that looked like they came right out of a Tolkien novel. I half expected to see Tom Bombadil himself with his lovely Goldberry merrily dancing down a forest path toward the sea.

There were wildflowers—phlox and roses—and birds diving into the thickets along the road. The blackberries had come back in full force, and we were dreaming of berry picking season later in the summer, when we pick to our hearts content.

Spring is definitely here. It's like a sumptuous meal, filled with a hundred shades of green. And we're drinking it in, being thirsty and hungry for the beauty of growing life!