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1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons sumac, divided, plus more for sprinkling

2 yellow squash, roughly chopped

1-1/2 cups walnuts, soaked 8–10 hours

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

Black pepper

2 pinches cayenne

1/4 cup olive oil

1 shallot, minced

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons raw agave

Whole micro-basil leaves

Mint Sauce

1/4 cup fresh mint

1/4 cup coconut meat

1/4 cup coconut water

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Salt

Tahini Sauce

1/3 cup tahini

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

Pinch cayenne

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Salt

Aleppo Pepper Sauce

1 cup diced fresh red pepper

1 tablespoon aleppo pepper spice

1/2 cup coconut meat

Salt

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup water, as needed

Vegetable Dolmas Pulse the almond crumbs and parsley in a food processor. Add vegetable fillings, olive oil, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and fill the vegetables with this mixture.

Grape Leaf Dolmas Process cauliflower in food processor to ricelike consistency; place cauliflower in a separate bowl and set aside. Blend remaining ingredients except grape leaves in a Vita-Mix until smooth. Pour over cauliflower and mix until well coated. Spread mixture on dehydrator Teflex sheets and dehydrate 1–2 hours. Roll grape leaves with equal amounts of filling.

Flatbread Place flax meal, basil, and oregano in a medium-size bowl; set aside. Process remaining ingredients except extra sumac and micro-basil leaves in a food processor until smooth. Add to bowl with flax meal and stir until well combined. Spread on Teflex sheets to 1/2 inch thickness; sprinkle with extra sumac and micro-basil. Dehydrate at 115 degrees F for 6–8 hours until almost completely dry but still a bit pliable. Transfer bread to dehydrator screens and dehydrate 24 hours.

Mint Sauce Blend all ingredients in Vita-Mix. This sauce should be light green in color and thin with a slight creaminess.

Tahini Sauce Blend all ingredients in Vita-Mix until smooth.

Aleppo Pepper Sauce Blend all ingredients in Vita-Mix until smooth, adding water as necessary.

Assembly Place 2 of each stuffed vegetable on each plate, along with sumac flatbread and grape leaves. Use 1 of each sauce on each of the vegetable dolmas. Serves 4–6

Radiance

Do not anticipate trouble or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.

—Benjamin Franklin

The idea of spicy exotic food served in the open air, in close proximity to the sea, is an image that nearly anyone would feel positive about. Maybe it’s the symbolic relationship of warm coastal climates to relaxing and eating well, but I have always been drawn to the flavors of sunny countries. The vibrancy of ingredients and sparkling clean flavors combined with a healthy dose of heat is a relentless charm.

A close friend once said to me that he always went to the sea to heal—and I have grown to realize that I am the same, if not in a medical sense, at least emotionally and physically to a large degree. The salty air, the sound of gentle waves, the rocky beaches, and the terrain of oceanfront land all provide a sense of health and, at the same time, exploration. My most positive moments—and my most productive, creative ones—are typically by the sea.

Naturally, the abundance of life, moving water, quick breezes, rapidly changing climates, and proliferation of wildlife and water fowl all combine to create an intoxicating energy that contributes to the cuisine of lands by the sea.

I was fortunate to grow up on a rocky New England coast. Little did I know how that would influence my life and career down the road. Today, I find its presence in nearly every aspect of what I do, physically or spiritually. Life has its way of creating circular paths, regardless of our chosen direction.

Much of my travel has been in the Mediterranean or on the coast of Latin and South America and other water-bordering regions of the United States. All foods have a life source, and I find that those prepared near the sea have more than their ample share.