Vegetables by James Peterson

When other recipes refer offhandedly to cleaning leeks or shelling favas, assuming we already know what we’re doing, Vegetables by James Peterson steps in to fill the gap. This is a comprehensive guide to all the vegetables coming into our kitchens: how to choose the best ones, store them away, and make them into dinner. From artichokes to rutabagas, Peterson has us covered.

• Who wrote it: James Peterson

• Who published it: Ten Speed Press

• Number of recipes: About 300

• Recipes for right now: Parisian Potato Salad, Sugar Snap Peas with Butter and Fresh Marjoram, Chiles Rellenos, and Napa Cabbage, Bok Choy, and Wild Mushroom Stir Fry

• Other highlights: This is first and foremost a reference book. Arranged in alphabetical order, Peterson methodically covers all the major vegetables we’re seeing at the farmers markets and using in our kitchens. He covers the different varieties of each vegetable, how to choose and store them, and common cooking techniques before offering a few vegetable-specific recipes.

I love the mushroom section, which gives a brief description of all the major (and a few minor) wild mushroom varieties along with a picture for identification. I could pour over these few pages for hours! The chile section and herb section take a similar approach.

• Who would enjoy this book? New cooks, cooks wanting to integrate more vegetables into their diet, and cooks wanting a reference book to fill in knowledge gaps

Find the book at your local library, independent bookstore, or Amazon: Vegetables, Revised: The Most Authoritative Guide to Buying, Preparing, and Cooking, with More than 300 Recipes by James Peterson

Apartment Therapy Media makes every effort to test and review products fairly and transparently. The views expressed in this review are the personal views of the reviewer and this particular product review was not sponsored or paid for in any way by the manufacturer or an agent working on their behalf. However, the manufacturer did give us the product for testing and review purposes.

(Images: Emma Christensen)