`Sybil Kapoor`s handsome, practical and informative book, provides a masterclass in making the most of home-grown veg, from artichokes to watercress. As befits a book published by the National Trust, there`s a bit of of historical info about each of them, plus helpful tips about handling, preparation and seasonality. All useful stuff, but the real joy are the imaginative recipes, some of which cast vegetables in a starring role, others as a supporting player.
` John Koski, Mail online Food Book of the Week.
This is a book for everyone who loves eating vegetables! I?ve
tried to create something that I hope you?ll find both useful and inspiring,
helped in no small part by Karen Thomas?s beautiful food photography. She also photographed my previous book
National Trust Simply Baking.
If you`d like to watch me looking rather embarrassed and talking about the book at Divertimenti`s Culinary Salon for Women in Food earlier this year, click here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EeYX8AwGAc
The book contains over 150 recipes and is divided into the four seasons. Within each season, the vegetables are organised roughly in order of their appearance. Spring, for example, starts with purple sprouting broccoli and ends with the arrival of the first Jersey Royal new potatoes. There are practical tips and culinary notes for each of the 49 featured vegetables. Recipes range from radishes with yoghurt herb dip and spiced pea ragout to beef and carrot pie and sweet beetroot pancakes.
You will also find the book full of quirky information from
the history of chilli-growing in Britain (we used to grow them commercially in
the eighteenth century) to how to source local vegetables or get involved in a
local community supported agriculture scheme. Working in collaboration with the National
Trust, I?ve used many of their gardens and community projects to illustrate the
different ways you can source home-grown vegetables.
ISBN-10: 1907892621
ISBN 13: 9781907892622 published by National Trust Books,
August 2013
