Cookbooks for CSA produce

[dividend]

Title says it all. Basically, I have a gift card to a book store, and would I would like to take the opportunity to acquire a few good books that that will help me deal with the upcoming glut of CSA produce.

I've checked out three Deborah Madison books from the library, and will most likely be purchasing one (or maybe two) of them: Greens, Local Flavors, and Vegetarian Cooking for everyone. I also checked out A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen, but I didn't like it as much. I don't necassarily need vegetarian cookbooks, just books with good ideas on using seasonal produce.

[russ parsons]

can you wait 3 weeks? I've heard very good things about "How to Pick a Peach." Oh, OK, so it was me who said them.

[pastryelf]

Three titles come to mind...

Homegrown, Pure and Simple by Michael Nischan

Keep It Seasonal by Annie Wayte

The Produce Bible by Leanne Kitchen

And then there's always the Chez Panisse Vegetable book and the tried but true Victory Garden cookbook. And a new one I've ordered but not seen yet, and heard good buzz about, is John Peterson's Farmer John's Cookbook: The real Dirt on Vegetables...

[rancho_gordo]

I have a lot of these but I tend to use Jack Bishop's Vegetables Everday first. The recipes are simple and good and easy enough to improvise from based on what's on hand. Chez Panisse Vegetables is a runner up but I'm very excited about the new Russ Parsons book! Already pre-ordered on Amazon.

oops! Lookie here. Russ himself has chimed in. I had NO idea!

[bavila]

Vegetable love by Barbara Kafka has been great for me. Looking forward to putting some more miles on it soon.

Good topic. Interesting, though that one has to look so specifically for cookbooks that focus on produce, isn't it? Most are so protein-centric. A reflection of our diet, I suppose.

[russ parsons]

oops! Lookie here. Russ himself has chimed in. I had NO idea!

←

i am shameless. you all should know that by now. but i did refrain from mentioning the starred review in publisher's weekly ... whoops!

[Live It Up]

I've had Vegetable Love for a few months now, and though I was very excited to get it, I haven't actually used it yet. I find the way it's organized to be pretty confusing. She groups veggies together based on common characteristics, but they aren't interchangeable within those groups. So whereas a chapter might have 10 recipes, she winds up with only a couple for each vegetable. However, my favorite recipe for sweet potatoes is included in the book, but I got it from her Roasting book originally.

One book I really like is Mediterranean Vegetables. It has a lot of main dish uses for vegetables, many of which use meat as seasoning. I also like that in the more extensive chapters there are several versions of similar dishes from different countries. Not great for really exotic vegetables (most of the more unusual veggies have information, but no recipes), but a good source for creative uses for the usual suspects.

[Fat Guy]

One of my favorite books along these lines is "Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini: The Essential Reference," by Elizabeth Schneider. It has 500 recipes and 275 photographs, and is simply overflowing with great ideas.

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[bloviatrix]

I have a lot of these but I tend to use Jack Bishop's Vegetables Everday first. The recipes are simple and good and easy enough to improvise from based on what's on hand. Chez Panisse Vegetables is a runner up but I'm very excited about the new Russ Parsons book! Already pre-ordered on Amazon.

oops! Lookie here. Russ himself has chimed in. I had NO idea!

←

Another vote for the Vegetables Everyday. It's a great resource - I turn to it significantly more than Vegetable Love. I also own Local Harvest and rarely turn to it - for a greenmarket inspired book I prefer The greenmarket

Cookbook by Petraker and Schwartz.

[russ parsons]

in the interest of good citizenship ... i looked at lots of produce books while working on mine. here are some of my favorites: all of deb madison's books; jane grigson's fruit book; faith willinger's "red white and greens"; the chez panisse books; elizabeth schneider; and cliff wright's mediterranean vegetables.

Edited April 19, 2007 by russ parsons (log)

[Fat Guy]

The reason I like Schneider so much as a CSA cookbook is that it's encyclopedic in scope, organization and style. When you open up to a vegetable you get the whole botanical rundown, history, photos and information on storage and basic preparation methods. More fully fleshed out recipes follow.

[bavila]

I've had Vegetable Love for a few months now, and though I was very excited to get it, I haven't actually used it yet. I find the way it's organized to be pretty confusing. She groups veggies together based on common characteristics, but they aren't interchangeable within those groups.

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I understand this criticism, and have read it before. However, my mind must be wired similarly to Kafka's because it works for me! She also runs down basic prep (including microwave instructions, as she is a proponent of microwave cooking), canning, storing, etc. These are at the end of the book, which to me is easier if I just want to know how long to steam kabocha rather than find a full-fledged recipe.

You should try to check these books out from your library and try them on for size. The ones you renew three times are worth buying.

[DanConnor]

The old Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash would be great. Each vegetable gets extensive treatments in its own chapter. Mine is beat to heck.

Out of print, but available used.

[dougal]

I rather like Sarah Raven's "Garden Cookbook". (She's renowned as a practical gardening guru - flowers, veg and fruit.)

It seems to have a different title in the USA: "In Season" (and I haven't seen that edition)

http://www.amazon.com/Season-Cooking-Veget.../dp/0789318113/

Its produce lead, divided seasonally (chapters on a 2-monthly basis), and then grouping together the various recipes for each featured (fruit or veg) ingredient. So you can immediately get a variety of suggestions as to what to do with Celeriac, for example.

Its about good, modern ("British" cosmopolitan), home/family cooking, including entertaining. Interesting yet achievable.

The original UK edition even has a practical, sensible layout. Basically three columns to most pages, for three recipes. I don't think any recipe involves turning a page. Its exactly the sort of book that is going to end up with lots of interesting stains and splashes - a book to use in the kitchen, not to fantasise over, display on the coffee-table, nor (for most people) to read in bed!

I highly recommend the British edition and trust that the US-titled-edition hasn't been excessively messed about. (Though I doubt quantities will still be given in grams!)

[LindaK]

Though I don't own it, I have enjoyed several meals that a friend prepared using Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian.

I do own How to Pick a Peach, and would recommend it highly for the informative descriptions as well as the recipes. I'm indebted to this book--and my trusty weber kettle grill--for getting me through a bountiful eggplant harvest from my community garden plot this past summer when I didn't even have a working kitchen.