Veggie Cooking...

Title: Serving up The Harvest: Celebrating the Goodness of Fresh Vegetables
Author: Andrea Chesman
Publisher: Storey Publishing
Pages: 500
ISBN: 13: 978-1-58017-663-7

This book is AWESOME!

For starters, other than a few favorite vegetables, I don't eat them. And, I need to be more flexible in my diet and learn to eat more things. During the months when the Farmers' Markets abound here veggies are plentiful. Not only that but they look good, smell good, and just almost seem to beg you to take them home and cook them.

Contents:

The book starts off with an introduction section which features a few words about the book and her acknowledgements. Then it has two chapters:

1) The well-stocked Pantry deals with the staples that you should have in your home: broth, oils, vinegars, condiments and sauces and nuts, lemons, etc. She includes twelve recipes for making your own.

2) Mastering the Basics: Methods and Recipes...includes the information about the basic way of cooking vegetables. Included are fourteen recipes (such as: basic stir fry, fettuccine alfredo with vegetables) that can be used quickly when the bounty is overwhelming.

The book is then divided into the following sections:

Spring into Summer
Early to Mid-Summer
Mid to Late Summer
Fall into Winter

Each section is then broken down by vegetable. For instance Spring into Summer includes:
Asparagus, Peas, Spinach, and Salad Greens.

Each vegetable is then given its own section with information about how it is grown and harvested, math, kitchen notes, nutrition notes, and timing.

The math section for asparagus reads: 1 pound = 20 spears, 1 pound = 3 cups chopped

Recipes for fixing the vegetable are mixed in with other tidbits of information like history or other practical advice.

The section for the Salad greens not only includes different recipes for salads but for making different dressings too.

The Appendix includes a chapter on Preserving the Harvest and a Resources and Suppliers section.

The recipes look really tasty - and the info facts are interesting to read. This is one of those books that one can read as well as use for cooking. It is a welcome addition to my cookbook shelf. Maybe now I won't be too afraid to try Parsnips or eggplant...