You'll get more responses by posting this type of question in the Design forum...

…or the critique forum. I think your images combined with type would improve by increasing the scale of the type, however for that style of illustration, I would look at a more robust and simple typeface. Rather than trying to combine the type as closely as you have, try printing the word at various scales, trim them close and position against a printout of the image, when you have something that you feel works, step back and consider the composition and relative scales there may be an opportunity to combine the type with the vegetables in the place of a character, but I think going through the process will give you food for thought. I would also try this with the water removed – I feel that it has an autotraced feel that doesn’t chime well with the stippling used for tone in the rest of the image.

Tim

Thank you Tim!!