RECIPE - My Favorite Cookbooks
All the cookbooks that help make eating veggies fun, delicious, and EASY. Perfect for Summer and beyond.
As we approach late Summer, I wanted to share a list of my favorite cookbooks that have changed the way I cook and have unlocked a whole new world and way to eat delicious Summer produce.
These cookbooks are ones that I have in my kitchen and reference often. They’re (mostly) approachable in terms of ingredients, often offer substitutions, and have a recipe for just about any veggie under the sun.
Greenfeast
Greenfeast by Nigel Slater is a delightful cookbook broken into two. One book is for Autumn and Winter, the other for Spring and Summer. This makes it incredibly easy to reference what is in season. The book has categories that are broken into cooking methods rather than recipe categories or veggie highlights.
This book teaches you how to build bold flavors with simple ingredients. It allows for exploration and serves as a base for you to build on.
You can find the Autum/Winter cookbook here.
You can find the Spring/Summer cookbook here.
Ruffage.
What makes this cookbook so delightful is that it was written by someone who has an intimate understanding of farming. Abra Berens has created an incredible encyclopedia of recipes from all different types of produce out of a need to use up such abundance.
The cookbook is broken down by vegetable type and offers a few ways of cooking each vegetable with additional variations for each recipe. There are raw recipes and cooked recipes featured for each vegetable which I love. This book truly highlights the versatility of each vegetable and the magic that can be made with them.
You can find Ruffage here.
Six Seasons
Joshua McFadden is the brilliant author behind this cookbook. I’m not just saying that because I’m partial to him and his work at Four Season Farm in Maine.
Joshua has broken down all six produce seasons in the year and provided a rich arsenal of recipes for said seasons. The recipes in this book are broken down by season which makes it easy to find inspiration for exactly which season you’re in.
The beginning of the book also comes with bonus recipes that are perfect to mix and match throughout the book or use with other recipes. Compound butter, herby sauces, and enticing salad dressings create perfect pairings for all the recipes you’ll find. This book does offer substitutions for items although not quite as robust as the substitutions in Ruffage.
You can find Six Seasons here.
Fresh From Poland
I grew up in a Polish family and thought I wouldn’t be able to enjoy traditional Polish food in the same way after going vegetarian. Polish food is traditionally looked at as being very meat heavy. Lots of smoked sausages, pork, and beef. Fresh From Poland is an absolute gift from Michał Korkosz to all of us vegetarian Polish people.
This cookbook has allowed me to reconnect with my roots and the flavors I loved so dearly growing up. It’s even inspired new favorites for me, like the dill pickle soup. I reach for this cookbook just as often as the others on this list and even though it’s not specifically veggie focused, it has a space on this post for that very reason.
You can find Fresh From Poland here.
If you’re looking for a way to use up what you have in your garden, make use of the delicious seasonal produce we have coming in right now, or simply want to impress your friends or family at your next community dinner I hope these books are able to help you. They truly are staples that I use so often when I’m feeling uninspired.
Until next time!
xoxo,
Roo