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| this week's farm box |
But as I've become aware from reading news stories, talking to friends and attending Weight Watchers meetings, many people don't know how to prepare vegetables and often believe they don't like them, except maybe for the deep-fried versions.
If that describes you, I urge you to try more vegetables. Globalization has scattered people and their foods, making sushi and curry available even in small, rural towns in North America (and tragically, Big Macs available in almost every other locale on earth). In the supermarket, products that would have been exotic and hard to find a decade ago are now regularly stocked. Witness the explosive popularity of quinoa, as well as its subsequent backlash.
So what do you do with this exciting produce? If you try yesterday's gazpacho recipe, you'll see that preparing fresh vegetables doesn't need to involve actual cooking. It can be so easy!
A good cookbook or two can be your best ally. I have a few (well, a few dozen), and many of my favorites feature the plant kingdom, although not all are strictly vegetarian.
My top 10:*
1. Vegetable Literacy, by Deborah Madison. This is Madison's most recent cookbook and is not yet available in paperback, so it may be a little pricey, but it's worth every penny. I doubt you will find a plant food in your grocery or farmer's market that Madison doesn't describe and provide instructions for preparing. I love that she uses every edible part of the plant. For an example, see this post from my cooking blog with a recipe featuring fennel.
2. Plenty, by Yotam Ottolenghi. Part of the recipe described above comes from this cookbook by the brilliant and increasingly well-known London chef of Israeli birth. He combines spices and flavors in exciting ways that are indescribably delicious. Cookbooks by chefs often can presume an expertise in the kitchen beyond the average home cook, but this is not the case with Ottolenghi. His recipes are approachable and some are so easy you'll be stunned it can taste that good with so little effort.
3. Lucid Food, by Louisa Shafia. You may have to special order this one from your local bookseller or buy online as it's not commonly stocked, but it's worth seeking out, especially if you want to bring an eco-consciousness into your kitchen. Shafia provides delicious, simple recipes, organized seasonally, and she actually knows what's available in each season. Shafia writes well and provides many useful tips for greening your kitchen.
4. The Nordic Diet, by Trine Hahnemann. This must be Scandinavian spa food. Not a dish in this volume is likely to put you in danger of exceeding your daily calorie budget. The recipes are easy and tasty.
5. The French Market Cookbook, by Clotilde Dusoulier. Ok, I don't actually have this one yet, but I'm sure I'll love it because I'm a big fan of the author's blog. French vegetarian cooking? Mais oui!
6. Herbivoracious, by Michael Natkin. Another cookbook by a food blogger, this globally-inspired collection of vegetarian stand-outs will appeal particularly to fans of Asian cuisine. Be careful if you're watching calories; some of the recipes are heavy on fat or cheese.
7. Bean by Bean, by Crescent Dragonwagon. This comprehensive guide to the musical fruit will inspire you without taxing your culinary skills.
8. Ancient Grains for Modern Meals, by Maria Speck. Whole grains are featured in imaginative ways by the author, who draws from her Greek and German heritage.
9. World Vegetarian, by Madhur Jaffrey. The renowned cookbook author travels the world for the best vegetarian recipes, with a natural emphasis on her native land of India.
10. Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, by Deborah Madison. The bible.
*Amazon links provided but please support your local bookstore. In northern Michigan, Brilliant Books and Horizon stock most of these.
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