Who'd expect a cookbook that starts with cooking methods to be so inspiring? Turns out Fast, Fresh & Green: More Than 90 Delicious Recipes for Veggie Lovers, by Susan Middleton (Chronicle Books, 2010, $24.95) is stuffed with delicious ideas for cooking fresh from the garden.
"I want you to think about how you're going to cook before you think about what you're going to cook," writes veggie-lover (although not vegetarian) Middleton. The book is arranged by roasting, braising, sauteing, stir-frying or grilling, with a chapter on the slower method of baking gratins, which will no doubt be my favorite chapter because it includes cheese and bread crumbs!
Middleton approaches dinner in this order: She picks her cooking method, picks her vegetables, chooses flavorings, and starts chopping. The result is scrumptious, healthful recipes like Peas with Lemon, Mint and Scallions and Brown Butter Summer Squash Linguine. Even the simplest recipes for Quick Roasted Beet Slices or or Ginger Braised Brussels Sprout are mouth-watering....now we just need the garden to kick into gear so we can cook those first fresh peas...in the meantime, try Middleton's ideas for for greens and lettuces...
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