Vegetable Literacy: Cooking and Gardening with Twelve Families from the Edible Plant Kingdom, with over 300 Deliciously Simple Recipes [A Cookbook]

If you have created a vegetable garden, and worked it even just one year or worked it more years than you care to count, you will be hooked on this book by the second page of the introduction. It contains a wealth of information; so much information, that you should not wait for your local library to get a copy: You need it NOW, and you will refer to it way too often to have to rely on the library's copy. If you are considering putting in your first vegetable garden, or if you often buy from a farmers' market or a local produce stand, you need to order this book, too. You will love it and, not only will you cook its recipes; you will be able to create your own favorites from all the tips included. If you buy your produce from the grocery store, you will find a lot of great recipes and a lot of information on unfamiliar edible plants, grains, grasses, herbs, beans and vegetables. But (I'd roughly estimate that) a fifth of the information provided will not be of value to the grocery-store-buyer, since the book provides information on varieties available and how to make use of all parts of the plant: From seedlings that you weed out, to leaf tops of edible roots, to roots of edible tops, to bolted stems and flowers, etc. In other words, parts of the plant that grocery-store-buyers don't often see. But, I'd bet good money that anyone who reads this book and doesn't have a garden, will be hurriedly searching for a sunny piece of earth in which to pitch a shovel! I won't go into the great information that you can find by reading this product page on Amazon. Definitely take advantage of the "Look Inside" feature. And definitely take a look at Deborah Madison's other published books. I find it a waste of space to list chapters and covered topics and ingredients in a review when it's all there in the "Look Inside". Deborah Madison has been writing quality cook books for ages. It was her book Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone that helped me convince the men in my family that they were not going to die if there wasn't meat on the dinner plate (that was back in the 1990s). But the point I'm trying to make is this: Madison has vast experience with veggies, grains, grasses, herbs, and beans. She has the necessary expertise, writing style and refined taste buds to put together a valuable and worthwhile cook book. What may not be obvious by browsing through the Contents and Index pages: --Besides the main star ingredient, other ingredients that flavor the recipes are not hard to locate. They are not necessarily limited to everyday ingredients with which we are all familiar: For instance, if you don't already know ghee and miso paste, you will be introduced to it in some of these recipes. --For most of the plants, you will find what I call a "food thesaurus" listing or section; "good companions" is what Madison calls them. You will have to remember those "companions" yourself, because they are not listed in the index. --You won't find recipes where the featured vegetable is NOT the primary flavor. In other words, you won't find chicken, salmon, sausage recipes with accompanying veggies and herbs or sauces made of the highlighted veggie or herb. You might find fish and meats mentioned in the "Good Companions" listed, but, again, you won't find them listed in the index. --This is not a vegan book: There are eggs, butter, cream and such. Actually, there are some very nice egg recipes. We've tried the egg salad with tarragon (I used Mexican tarragon, because that's what grows in my Southern garden and eggs from our own hens.) --This is NOT a how-to-garden book. Although it does list some seed recommendations. --This is NOT a book that is slanted towards where Madison lives and gardens in New Mexico. Meaning, you will not find information that is inappropriate for your area. (I think that is a great accomplishment on Madison's part: That she was able to make the book very personable, but still refrain from giving us information--stated as fact--that is unsuitable or different for the various parts of the U.S. (For instance, I must plant my summer squash and tomatoes in early March. My zukes are finished in June and my tomatoes are over in July. Your tomatoes may last until the first frost.) It is a pet peeve of mine that so many vegetable gardening cookbooks assume I have tomatoes in August... --Cooking techniques are explained. And many, many techniques are employed: Steaming, sauteing, roasting, baking, grilling, braising and pressure cooking. If there are recipes for breaded and fried veggies, I don't remember seeing them. (Thank you for that!!!) --There are so many fantastic and helpful tips: How about this one? The extra-long stem on an artichoke is meant to be used: Peel, slice, drop in acidulated water, then braise, saute, or toss them into a soup. -- The simplicity of the recipes that forces the focus onto a specific vegetable, sort of reminds me of Tender: A Cook and His Vegetable Patch by Nigel Slater. But I like this book a whole lot better because it is definitely slanted towards American ways, names, places, available ingredients, available seeds and measurements***. (Slater's book, while it is filled with wonderful recipes and ideas, is slanted towards a British audience.) --***There is an adequate conversion chart of measurements at the very end of the book. Being on the last page, it is very easy to flip to. (It's a bit hard to read: Green ink and not a large type point size.) --Unlike the two books by Lawson, this book does NOT have many photographs, as it is meant to be a wealth of information, not just pretty pictures to look at. (I think it could have used some more pictures, though. But then the book would have weighed a ton.) It is definitely not a coffee table book. --There are many soup recipes--and that is important in our family. There are all kinds of salads, side dishes, and main dishes. Best of all: I'm very happy to see there are hardly any pasta recipes. They seem to be a dime a dozen these days... --We've become fans of quite a lot of Asian greens lately--they do so well in our gardens; and of course some are mentioned in this book--bok choy and Chinese broccoli and perilla (shiso) to mention a few, but I will still be referring to my favorite Asian cook books (and the Kitazawa Seed catalog) for most of them. I've only had this book a short few days, but we've already sampled several recipes. We cook from our garden, so I was kind of limited in the recipes I could choose from--it being mid-March in the Coastal Plains of Texas. But follows is a list of what I created so far, and the recipes have worked and so have the flavor combinations: Grilled Onions with Cinnamon Butter (using the first of the 1015 Texas Onions from down in the Valley); Braised Parsley Root (with the last from the garden--had to get them out to make room for two very special cherry tomatoes, both originating from further down south); Chard Soup with Cumin, Cilantro and Lime; and to use up two lonely rutabagas, I combined ideas from the Winter Stew of Braised Rutabagas Carrots, Potatoes and Parsley, and Rutabaga Soup with Gorgonzola Toasts. I'm really looking forward to trying almost all the recipes in this book. And, much to my delight, we've got quite a few of those mentioned in this book already planted in our garden.

Vegetables are finding their true place in our cooking and eating world. Many of us are eating more vegetables for health reasons, or because we have given up meat, or, for like most of us, fresh vegetables can be found in almost every market. Most towns and cities have their own farmers markets, and many of us have our own gardens. I am a member of a CSA, Community Supported Agriculture. I pay yearly dues to a farm, and then receive weekly supplies of vegetables. This is wonderful, but what do I do with garlic scapes and how do I cook these vegetables in a new and different maner. Deborah Madison has assisted me with recipes in this fabulous new book. Her knowledge of cooking, and gardening has brought great surprises to me. She has a new format for her cookbook, she has written her chapters based on plants within the same family. This is an area that opened my eyes. I never thought about the fact that tomatoes go so well with eggplant. Within each chapter, each vegetable gets its own recipes, growing tips, recommended varieties, kitchen wisdom, and culinary companions. This is a 405 page book on Vegetable Literacy, on cooking and gardening with twelve families from the edible plant kingdom, and over 300 simple recipes. This all started when Deborah Madison noted the lacy flowers on some of her plants, carrots, parsley , fennel, cilantro, and anise. She wondered if all these lacy flowered plants were related, and she found they were. And, so, she started looking at other plant families and what they had in common. What she discovered is that they could be cooked together for delicious tastes. We receive a simple lesson on plant botany, and then learn how this will new knowledge can be put to taste. The recipes in this book are so well documented with glorious photography by Christopher Hirshemier and Melissa Hamilton. You will want to start cooking immediately. Page 144 caught my eye, ' Cauliflower with Saffron, Pepper Flakes, plenty of Parsley and Pasta'. Page 190, ' Halloumi with Seared Red Peppers, Olives and Capers'. Page after page of vegetables cooked in a new way. A new method for us to arrange our vegetables, how we cook with them, and how we look at our eating. This is a book to be savoured, to be read as a book and not as a cookbook. This is a book on Vegetable Literacy, and I have found a new way to look at my vegetables. Highly Recommended. prisrob 07-14-13

We have a sizable urban garden and I was looking for a book to help us maximize our use of the crops we harvest. This is that book. It gives not only a nice selection of uncomplicated, but creative, recipes, but also basic information on each vegetable. There's also a section for each called, "Using the Whole Plant" that tells you about parts of the plant that you might not realize are edible (and might even be quite tasty!). The hardcover version of the book is about an inch thick - it's on the larger side, and for that reason, it could make a nice coffee table book. I love that most of the recipes have shorter ingredient lists. It's nice to have simple recipes that are quick but have interesting flair and unconventional ingredients. This book is going to get a lot of use in our home!

Deborah Madison's "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" has been a staple in my kitchen over a decade now. Considering that she wrote that book almost 20 years ago, it's impressive how well that cookbook holds up. So much so that I have kept busy in the kitchen with this book alone and never purchased another cookbook of hers! But I couldn't help but notice the reviews for "Vegetable Literacy." Feeling ready for another book from her, I ordered it and I am so pleased. Continuing to write in her gentle and approachable way, "Vegetable Literacy" continues the exploration of vegetables but from a slightly different viewpoint. By framing the book from the perspective of vegetable families, it allows me as a cook to better understand the relationships between the vegetables I am eating. It's highly educational as she explains why she chooses one cultivar over another and how this benefits cooking. I can't quite place my finger on how the organizaiton of the book is so much more helpful... as every cookbook is arranged by vegetable category, but somehow this book is so helpful for me as a cook. I often go to the farmers markets and buy a bunch of spinach without knowing much more what to do with it than to wilt it with some garlic. But in this book Deborah Madison expands one's vision of what can be done with each vegetable and in recipes that are uncomplicated for a harried, busy person like me. She even give tips on what can be pre-prepared and waiting in the fridge a day or two later to finish cooking with. I love Chez Pannisse cookbooks, but their recipes can be so complicated for someone who just wants to eat the alluring fresh vegetables in the fridge. For someone like me, this is a perfect cookbook and I'm thankful I got it.

I got this from the library initially, since -- though I'm a fan of Deborah Madison's previous cookbooks -- I'm trying not to buy as many books as I used to. After browsing through it, I knew I had to buy a copy. I'm impressed not only with the recipes in Vegetable Literacy, but with the copious information on specific vegetables and vegetable families.

This book is not only a work of art that makes your mouth salivate over vegetables (yes vegetables) but it is intelligently arranged giving a cluster of recipes by vegetable. The recipes are unfussy and the flavour combinations are spot on. For example I got some Kohlrabi at the market and it looked at me and I looked at it not knowing what to do. I looked up Vegetable Literacy and there was not only a detailed explanation but three or four simple recipes which all were doable. I made one of the recipes (and found another I wanted to make as well). So often when I buy 'pretty' cookbooks I look but do not cook. This is one of those classic books which not only is a delight to read but inspires you to eat in a fresh, nutritious, way. In this Masterchef era where everything is compicated that is refreshing.

This book is wonderful. I like that it gives the Latin names of all the vegetables and a bit of useful information about each of the vegetable families. It covers a lot of obscure vegetables that you find at a farmer's market or ethnic grocery store and find yourself wondering what they are and what to do with them. I liked this book so much I gave my first copy away as a Christmas present, and then decided I would try out the Kindle version as a replacement. I think I preferred the hard copy, because this is the sort of book that you're going to want to flip around in, and I find it annoying to try to "flip around" in ebooks. Kindle seems more convenient for the kinds of books that you read straight through. I suppose it is convenient that I can pull up a recipe on my iPad and consult it in the kitchen without having to worry about getting the book dirty. But so far I've used this book more for reading about the vegetables themselves than as a cooking manual, so in the long run I kind of wish I had purchased another hard copy.

My jam-packed cookbook shelves already held four Deborah Madison cookbooks, and I figured that was enough. But the lure of the vegetable info hooked the gardener in me. I started reading Vegetable Literacy as a book, but quickly took it from coffee table to kitchen, and have been cooking from it all summer and into the fall. We tend to eat vegetarian with fish, seafood, or meat a few times per week, and the recipes complement that style of eating very well. The recipes are relatively simple, clearly written, and very tasty. I've tried new ingredients--tempeh, coconut butter, and black quinoa come to mind. I've learned new techniques--for example, presoaking lentils and adding salt to beans at the start of cooking, which has done wonders for my black beans. Some of my new go-to recipes from this book are the basic lentil recipe, Rio Zape Beans with salt-roasted tomatoes (can sub black beans), pan-fried tempeh with trimmings, which I serve with salsa and lettuce leaf wrappers, roasted asparagus with chopped egg, griddled eggplant rounds, and heirloom tomato quinoa soup. I've tried many others and enjoyed all. I noticed another review that complained about lack of depth in the information on vegetables. I'd say this is a cookbook that gives extra insight into ingredients and a few tips on vegetable gardening. For a book that focusses on in-depth nutritional information on vegetables, I like "Eating on the Wild Side".

This is a great book to keep in your kitchen, especially throughout the vegetable and herb growing season. I find myself referring to it whenever I plan to serve vegetables. I have learned a lot about vegetable families and how various vegetables and herbs relate to one another. I am also using the herbs in my garden in many new and delicious ways. It's an interesting read, even if you are not cooking! Every recipe that I've tried has been delicious. Among our favourites so far are Griddled Asparagus with Tarragon Butter; Steamed Broccoli with Mustard Vinaigrette; Nutty-Seedy Whole Wheat Toast with Ricotta and Tomatoes; Chervil-Chive Butter and variations; Cauliflower Soup with Coconut, Turmeric and Lime; Egg Salad with Tarragon, Parsley and Chives; Kale Pesto with Dried Mushrooms and Rosemary; Potato and Parsley Soup; Peas with Baked Ricotta and Bread Crumbs; Rhubarb, Apple and Berry Pandowdy; and Dukkah (toasted nuts and seeds with cumin). All of the recipes were easy to prepare. You won't regret buying this book. Highly recommended.

Ich las die begeisterten Rezensionen auf Amazon.com und musste dieses Buch bestellen. Ich gärtnere gern und esse hauptsächlich, aber nicht ausschließlich vegetarisch. Vegetable Literacy richtet sich an gärtnernde Köche und behandelt Gemüse entsprechend ihrer botanischen Einteilung in Gruppen und bespricht Übereinkünfte und Unterschiede. Die Ausstattung des Buches ist opulent: schwere Aufmachung, schönes Layout, gute Fotos, usw. Das hätte mich beinahe auch begeistert. Letztendlich bereue ich, Vegetable Literacy gekauft zu haben. Frau Madison gärtnert in New Mexico und geht von ihren eigenen Erfahrungen im Garten aus. Ihre Beurteilungen von Pflanzen, die sie ausführlich beschreibt, sind daher ganz und gar nicht auf Nord-/Mitteleuropa übertragbar. Die Bewertungen der Gemüse (was schmeckt gut, was weniger) sind recht persönlich. Ich würde sie selbst nicht unbedingt teilen. Zwei Dinge störten mich vor allem. In einem Buch dieses Umfangs, das den Anspruch erhebt ein Gemüsekompendium zu sein, finde ich pro Kapitel nur jeweils von ein paar der behandelten Gemüse Abbildungen. Hier hat man sich ganz deutlich zugunsten der Ästhetik des Layouts entschieden, statt ausreichende Informationsdichte zu bieten. Zum anderen sind die Rezepte eher langweilig, wenn man nicht gerade Anfänger ist. Der Ansatz von Deborah Madison ist, daß Pflanzen die nah miteinander verwandt sind, auch gut kombiniert werden können und dies dominiert die Rezepte. Stimmt - aber spannend ist anders.

Nella pletora dei libri dedicati alla cucina, il testo di Deborah Madison si distingue per la sua originale prospettiva. Partendo dalle 12 famiglie botaniche più diffuse, l'autrice identifica punti in comune tra ingredienti apparentemente diversi e rivela ad ogni passo la bellezza del mondo naturale. Pragmatica nello stile, leggera a tratti, mai approssimativa, originale nell'elaborazione delle ricette: molte qualità in un testo che può affascinare un pubblico curioso. Certo, per ora è soltanto in inglese...

Forget the Nigella Goddess, but maybe not Claudia Roden, or Elizabeth David - women cooks can be so unpretentious. I remember showing my edition of the Greens Cookbook to my sister. She said, oh no, not another. We have a lot of sorell in the garden, what can I do with it. Looked it up in the index as one does. I am going to get this, she says. This book is brilliant. Apparently, Ottelonghi likes what she does, and is impressed with what she knows - she is remarkably free of spin. I trust what she says, experience has proved her spot on. A lovely book. Meat eaters, please purchase.

How does Deborah Madison never disappoint? We are not vegetarian but enjoy vegetables, and this book gives new ideas on how to cook, and some new ideas on what veggies to look for. I like the dictionary style of this book - chard for example has a section. So can bring my sunchokes home & quickly find recipe. Weakness is that where we live, we have limited fresh vegetable types and so a section on cardoons has limited value but I’m translating recipes to chard & still enjoyed the learning & the viable recipes.