Verdure: Vegetable Recipes from the Kitchen of the American Academy in Rome, Rome Sustainable Food Project

Produced by the American Academy in Rome to highlight the cuisine of the school's locale, Boswell's fourth title in the Rome Sustainable Food Project series (after Biscotti, Zuppe, and Pasta) focuses solely on the vegetables available to the Italian consumer. Broken into seasons (in order to emphasize the correct vegetables available for each time of year, respectively), this small, colorful volume packs a punch in flavor. Each ingredient is simple and fresh, but is employed in just the right manner and at the right time to maximize its contribution to the dish. The "Leek, Beet & Fennel Salad with Creamy Mustard Dressing" in winter employs four ingredients to create wallop in the mouth. In spring, readers can look to the "Roman-Style Spring Vegetable Stew" to find a hearty soup culled from simple produce. Similarly,"Roman-Style Cauliflower" in winter and "Tuscan-Style Bread Salad" in summer employ few ingredients to create tasty meals. The combinations and possibilities from a seemingly small choice of ingredients can help spruce up even the most jaded eater's palate. Of course, the downside to a cookbook like this is that it features almost no recipes with anything but vegetables, carnivores be warned. If it's a tried and true approach to simple vegetables the reader wants, however, this is the book. With color photos. (Apr.)