late august farmer's market and savory dumpling bento

This weekend's farmer's market combined ripe summer tomatoes, peppers, melons and wildly colorful zinnia bouquets with the first hints of autumn as early squash, apples and amber-toned grapes graced a few stands:

This bee happily buzzed amid the bright bouquets, perhaps as enchanted by the intense colors as I was:

We were treated to a yummy meal with homemade dumplings at a friend's house on Saturday and she insisted we take home all the extra dumplings, yum. Today's bento features one of those savory dumplings, wrapped in romaine lettuce with mint, Thai basil and avocado tucked inside, all secured with a scallion band:

Red cabbage and carrot slaw dressed with lime and sweet chili sauce, plus some little orange tomatoes and nasturtium cushion the romaine-dumpling packet. The purple pepper was sliced and munched with a little salt after I took this photo. Greek yogurt with cinnamon, honey and coconut was lovely with honeydew and mango stars, a combination I'll definitely want to enjoy again!

The angle of daylight is just starting to soften and diffuse, the evening chorus of crickets and cicadas an intense and enveloping late-summer song...think I'll take a walk outside and listen.