The Garden-Fresh Vegetable Cookbook: Andrea Chesman's Bountiful Harvest of Home-Grown Recipes

This detailed, seasonally arranged guide is packed with informative tips on both growing and cooking with a variety of produce, as well as hundreds of interesting—though simple and homey—recipes. Dare we say it's even entertaining reading? Indeed, bits on the various uses of corn and "artichoke facts and fictions" make the book a strong contender for reading in bed or on the couch, not just in the kitchen. Veg expert Chesman (The Vegetarian Grill ; The Roasted Vegetable ) has an uncomplicated writing style and delivers concise instructions for such dishes as spring into summer's Stir-Fried Shrimp and Snow Peas in Black Bean Sauce; early to midsummer's Roasted Beet Salad with Greens and Crispy Shallots, and Zucchini-Cheddar Breakfast Biscuits; and fall/winter's Caramelized Winter Squash and Onion Pizza. The author provides helpful (and occasionally unexpected) vegetable-related hints, too, such as what to eat to stop the overwhelming burn from the capsaicin in chilis. Not all recipes are vegetarian, but the majority are; the collection is a nice addition for anyone looking to add wide and easy variety to their preparation of fresh produce. (May)