Vegetables have moved to the center of the culinary stage in recent years. No longer are they relegated to the side of the plate, as more and more people discover the health benefits and superior flavor of the wide variety of fresh produce currently available.
In the spirit of this revolution, Colin Spencer takes an expert look at both common and exotic vegetables - where and when to get the best of them, their history, properties, varieties, and foibles. Innovative recipes offer a fresh take on common fare, and open new possibilities for using a cornucopia of unusual produce, such as chicory, parsnips, and taro. Creative ingredients and traditional favorites make the most of these vegetables in soups, salads, appetizers, and main dishes.
Arranged by horticultural family, there are over 100 vegetable entries for varieties common in America, with more than 300 accompanying recipes. One hundred twenty color photographs provide a guide to identifying types, and present tempting servings of healthy, savory food that will appeal to everyone raised to eat their vegetables.
Colin Spencer's
The Vegetable Book will make even hard-core meat eaters gobble up their veggies in record time. This hefty collection abounds with more than 300 vegetable dishes from around the world, conveniently grouped together by horticultural family.
More than just a series of recipes, Spencer provides detailed historical information, preparation and storage tips, and nutritional values for each vegetable. The majority of the recipes call for more traditional vegetables--tomatoes, potatoes, celery, mushrooms, artichokes. But exotic veggies also get their share of the limelight--including Chinese bitter melon, black radish, and glasswort, a member of the beet family.
Salads shine in The Vegetable Book, and stars include a Wilted Chard Salad rich with garlic and spices, and a succulent Warm Salad of Radicchio, Frisée, and Glazed Squash. Pies also stand out from the crowd--particularly a Swiss Chard Pie wrapped in a delicious, buttery crust.
Recipes run the gamut from simple braised vegetables to complex soups and sauces, sure to appeal to cooks of all abilities. The book would have benefited from an index listing dishes by type (soups, entrées, appetizers, etc.), and several recipes call for fish stock, dairy products, or gelatin--definite no-nos for strict vegetarians. However, the detailed cooking instructions, full-color photographs, and Spencer's chatty and informative text make greens simply gorgeous. --Naomi Gesinger
