Customer Reviews

Cooking from the Garden: Best Recipes from Kitchen Gardener

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Cooking from the Garden celebrates seasonal variety, presenting over 200 tasty recipes from chefs, restaurateurs and cooks around the country. Full-page sidebars of detail include tips on how to peel a tomato, choosing the right mint for the kitchen, and more. No color photos but dishes such as Lentils with Mint, Cider & Ginger or Linguine with Mixed Sweet Peppers, Feta & Oregano don't need 'em.

I think I've been reviewing seasonal cookbooks too long, because the first thing I noticed about this book is that it is NOT organized by season. It's organized in the traditional manner (starters, snacks, and drinks; breakfast, brunch & egg dishes; sauces, salsas, and vinaigrettes; etc.) with a few pages of seasonal menus thrown in at the end. The index is pretty good, though, so you'll still be able to find the recipes you want easily.

There are no photos of the recipes, but they do highlight what you'll need "from the garden," (or farmer's market, whichever the case may be). There are also a lot of them - more than 200! And they are fairly basic, with lots of familiar flavors and preparations.

If you don't have many vegetable/seasonal cookbooks, this is a good one to get. If you do have a couple, though, there's nothing new or different here.

Cooking from the Garden takes the best recipes from a publication called The Kitchen Gardener, published from 1996 to 2001. Recipe categories include:
Starters, Snacks & Drinks,
Breakfast, Brunch & Egg Dishes
Sauces, Salsas & Vinaigrettes
Salads
Breads and Sandwiches
Soups
Side Dishes
Pasta, Grains & Beans
Main Dishes
Desserts and Sweets
Preserving

This is definitely a make-it-from-scratch cookbook that includes recipes for homemade ketchup, Thyme Mayonnaise, dressings and sauces. The recipes have easy to follow instructions and a short list of a few basic ingredients. There are no photographs of finished dishes, but there are tips and menu ideas. Most of the recipes contain ingredients that can be grown most anywhere or can be found at a local farmers market. These are good, wholesome family recipes.

As a CSA shareholder I'm always looking for new ways to use the glorious fresh veggies I receive each week. This book has simple, tasty and healthy recipes. I particularly like the nutrition values given for each recipe because I'm very careful about watching sodium and fat. The Broccoli Raab w/Spaghettini, the Kohlrabi and Fennel Salad and the Sweet and Savory Cherry Sauce are recipes I've tried and LOVED. This book has already become one of my top go to choices for everyday cooking.

From your own backyard to your dining table a feast fit for a King awaits you. In today's economy, food prices have gone up at a drastic rate. To save costs, individuals are planting their own garden where they can experience fresh fruits and vegetables without paying the high prices.

If you are a gardener, no matter what your experience level may be, you will find a treasure chest of mouth watering meals in Ruth Lively's Cooking from the Garden: Best Recipes from Kitchen Gardener. In this one book you will find 200 recipes that will have you cooking like a master chef.

There are so many wonderful recipes in Cooking from the Garden: Best Recipes from Kitchen Gardener it is hard to pick my favorites. These are the ones that I have tried and absolutely loved: Blackberries in Pecan Crepes, Tuscan Beans, and Peach Crisp with lavender. Each one of recipes was easy to make and enhanced the fruit and vegetable ingredients.

Whether you are going your own garden, or purchasing home grown fruits and vegetables out of you local grocery store, Cooking from the Garden: Best Recipes from Kitchen Gardener is definitely the cookbook you want to add to your collection. It is a cookbook that is worthy enough to be passed on for future generations.

I borrowed this from a friend and then bought my own copy. I've tried 3 recipes & they are all good. Good inspiration ~ the recipes come from varied sources so there is much to choose from. PS I bought a used copy that doesn't have a mark on it.