Vegging out

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Dozens gathered at Newton Park Sunday for the Plant-based Potluck.

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Allison and Austyn Segal of Fort Myers try vegan mousse and a chocolate cookie for dessert.

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A veggie quiche was a popular pick.

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Georgia Shakti-Hill, her husband Eddie Hill, and friend Betty Simpson sampled several new dishes at the potluck. While Eddie is still an omnivore, Georgia jokes that she sneaks in vegetables to his meals.

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Sisters Rose and Julia Ooyman of Estero chow down on watermelon at the potluck. Their mom, Amy, said the event was great for her family, because as vegans, they could eat everything that was brought without needing to check if the recipe was okay for them.

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Sitting under a covered pavilion by the beach, shaded from the sun, Georgia Shakti-Hill was in her element.

The 30-year resident of Fort Myers Beach has been a vegetarian for more than 10 years, a choice she said was “a little ahead of my time.”

But Sunday afternoon, Aug. 21, she was not alone. Dozens of families and friends gathered at Newton Park for the Plant-based Potluck, hosted by SWFL Veg-Fest, an event that brought together vegans and vegetarians together from around the area.

Amid picnic tables filled with delectable vegan and plant-based dishes such as buffalo cauliflower bites, BBQ jackfruit sliders, vegan ceviche and an array of cookies and desserts, those in attendance had the chance to chat and swap recipes, forming a community focused on food. Each dish had an attached recipe so others could try out a new favorite at home.

Shakti-Hill, who brought her husband Eddie Hill and friend Betty Simpson, said she was thrilled to be able to go to an event with like-minded folks, and was pleased to see a diverse age group, from retirees to families and teenagers.

Shakti-Hill and her husband formerly owned the vegetarian Cafe Du Monde on the island, and she also produced a TV show called “Living in Balance” on PBS and the Wisdom Channel. The show focused on the mind-body-spirit balance and how to achieve it.

She said while she loves to cook, she enjoyed getting to try other people’s recipes at the potluck.

“This is wonderful,” she said. “People are really coming to a conscious level about the quality of their food.”