I often laugh when people tell me I’m a picky eater who doesn’t eat much.

Oh, if they could see me at home.

When the veggies are in abundance. When I have all the tools at my fingertips. When I have access to truly delicious meal planning. That’s when you see me gorge on delicious, gorgeous meals.

Eating is a mindset. You eat what you believe in. You prepare what you know is good for you, and what you know will taste good.

And while I love sophisticated meals that have dozens of ingredients and take all afternoon to prepare, I find myself increasingly going to simpler foods. Especially in the summer when farmer’s markets are in abundance, and I grow a lot of veggies myself.

Vegetable Simple by Eric Ripert was recommended to me, and I knew it was a winner simply by flipping to and reading the introduction. Instead of a table of contents, Ripert recommends to:

Flip through the pages and be inspired to try and one or two (or three) dishes at a time, rather than feel the need to adhere to strict categories of appetizers, mains, and sides

I immediately bookmarked and tried his Tomato, Summer Squash Soup because my counter is loaded with squash and tomatoes. I have my eye on Watermelon Pizza and Herb Falafel. So many good things to try!

In a world that’s chaotic at best, I’m finding delight in getting to know wholesome ingredients on an entirely new level.

Try Vegetable Simple. Maybe you will, too.

About the GorgeousWellth Cookbook Club

Each month, I select a cookbook for the month and use it as inspiration for dinner at least once a week. Each month, I’ll choose a favorite I’m working with, and share a thing or two I learn.

Wanna play along? I’m keeping this pretty informal – I just want to inspire you to pick up a great cookbook and start cooking, too. Hopefully, you can get a lot of these from your local library. If not, you might be able to pick them up gently used through Amazon. Or if you choose to use them for your inspiration as much as I do, maybe it’s time to invest in these and have them ready and waiting on your shelf.

I won’t be sharing the recipes, but I will share some of the results. Let me know if you try any of these, and let me know what you think. Be sure to tag me on IG or use #GorgeousWellth Follow along as I’ll be adding new cookbooks each month!

Happy plant-based cooking!