Simply in Season Expanded Edition (World Community Cookbook) [Paperback]

Cathleen Hockman-Wert (Author), Mary Beth Lind (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2009 | ISBN-10: 0836194942 | ISBN-13: 978-0836194944 | Edition: 2nd Expanded Edition

From the Preface:

First published in 2005, Simply in Season is a community cookbook about good food: foods that are fresh, nutritious, tasty, and in rhythm with the seasons. This Expanded Edition adds seventeen new recipes to more than three hundred in the 2005 edition.

Simply in Season explores the complex web of factors that brings food to our plates. Before the advent of modern transportation and storage systems, eating local food was the norm as it still is in much of the world. Within our memories we see our parents and grandparents with hands full of fruits and vegetables from their gardens or gardens nearby. Eggs, milk, and meat also came from local sources.

Spring explores the environmental impact of modern agriculture. Summer, Autumn, and Winter follow with thoughts on health, time, and the economic factors of food. The final recipe chapter, All Seasons, presents a vital overview of food production and food security issues, bringing us full circle in our understanding of the meaning and place of food in our lives.

Simply in Season also remains a cookbook filled with delicious recipes. Part of the fun of cooking with the seasons is learning to use what s locally available, and that often means taking recipes as starting points: a theme on which to playfully improvise rather than a blueprint to follow precisely.

Whether you have long cherished local food or are new to these ideas, we hope you are encouraged in your journey with food choices. The journey is long and continuous, with innumerable points of entry. None of us has arrived, and each of us will have to decide what choices are right for our own circumstances. But it is a delight to share the stories and recipes of fellow travelers who love good food.

Welcome! And enjoy!
Mary Beth Lind, Cathleen Hockman-Wert, authors

Editorial Reviews

Review

A gorgeous full-color cookbook with pages you ll be turning slowly, reading and absorbing as you go. . . . This cookbook makes an occasion out of the season itself. . . In many ways, this cookbook is also a theology of food. It reminds us with every page the meaning and place of food in our lives.
--Farmers Independent Weekly

An essential kitchen companion for all of us who love to get our food from our own backyard, local CSA or farmers market--and always need new ideas. This is a book I will turn to over and over again. They've put the recipes in the most organized, easy-to-use cookbook I've seen.
--Catherine Walthers, author of Raising the Salad Bar and Greens, Glorious Greens

I love this cookbook. It not only contains a diverse variety of recipes, but it is chock-full of information about using fresh, local, and seasonal foods. Highly recommended!
--B. Smith, lifestyle expert, cookbook author and entrepreneur

About the Author

Mary Beth Lind is a registered dietitian and nutritional consultant. She and her husband, Lester, are market gardeners in West Virginia: they grow enough fruits and vegetables for their own year-round needs as well as surplus to sell at local farmers' markets. They are also the founders of Mountain Retreat, a Christian retreat center that has as its mission discovering the connection between the spiritual and the organic sources of life.
Mary Beth, a member of Philippi Mennonite Church, grew up eating local seasonal foods in the mountains of West Virginia. Her mother loved gardening and her father, a country doctor, was occasionally paid in produce. Mary Beth graduated from Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Virginia, with a degree in home economics, and from Oregon State University with a degree in foods and nutrition. She returned to EMU briefly to teach nutrition.
Mary Beth wrote the foreword for the 25-year anniversary edition of More-with-Less Cookbook. With her sister, Sarah E. Myers, she has also written Recipes from the Old Mill: Baking with Whole Grains.
Food is a part of my spirituality, Mary Beth says. My garden and kitchen are the places where I am most aware of God's mysterious presence, as well as the places where I flesh out my beliefs and values. For me there is a connection between what I eat and how I pray.

Cathleen Hockman-Wert has served as editor for Mennonite Women USA since 1997. In that role, she founded Timbrel, a magazine by Mennonite women in Canada and the United States. She previously served as assistant editor of Gospel Herald, a weekly magazine of the Mennonite Church.
An Oregon native, Cathleen graduated from Goshen College in Indiana and later earned a master's degree in journalism from the University of Oregon. She is a member of Corvallis Mennonite Fellowship and an avid farmers' market shopper.
When I was young, my mother worked fulltime yet always kept us stocked with homemade bread from MCC's first cookbook, More-with-Less. But my journey with local food entered a new level in the 1990s as my husband Dave and I began learning more about environmental issues, Cathleen says. We were discovering the many ways in which our lifestyle choices choices which we are privileged to have as middle-class North Americans affect God's creation and other people.
We gradually became more and more committed to seeking out local, sustainably grown foods. Sometimes this has meant paying more; making that adjustment, for two people ingrained with the frugality ethic, hasn't always been easy. Sometimes we chant a little mantra: 'Cheaper is not always better.' But by now, buying local foods is all joy.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Herald Press; 2nd Expanded Edition edition (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0836194942
• ISBN-13: 978-0836194944
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (73 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,057 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #31 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Special Occasions > Seasonal
  • #41 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Entertaining
  • #60 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Reference

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book! November 19, 2009

By N. Swanson

Format:Spiral-bound

I love this book in so many ways. The recipes are not only organized by season, but the outside page boarder color matches the index color of the section (green - spring, red - summer, etc). If I want a recipe for something that just came out of my garden in July, I can flip the red edged pages and be pretty sure that my veggie in in there. The first page in each section contains a listing of all the recipes, and the side border of the pages has all of the produce listed that may be in that section with the items for the recipe page listed in black and the others (not on that page) grayed out. I think the thing I love most about this book's format is that each ingredient is listed with the directions for that item immediately following. The next item (or set of items) is then listed with those directions following, etc... I don't have to look up and down several times while making my dish to get the job done. Oh, and the recipes are wonderful! I highly recommend this book.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite cookbook! January 21, 2010

By Holly Yaryan Hall

Format:Spiral-bound|Amazon Verified Purchase

I love the simple goodness of this kitchen companion - easy ingredients, straightforward recipes, nutritious emphasis and delicious food. The wholistic outlook makes this more than just an excellent collection of recipes. Simply in Season is also a guide to intentional, sustainable eating.

After replacing my well-used original copy, I was delighted to find an expanded new edition. I like the smaller size and spiral binding that allows it to lay flat without taking up too much counter space. Some other features I like include the general fruit and vegetable guide, seasonal organization and key ingredients listed along the sides for quick reference. The comprehensive index is fantastic. For example, if I look up sweet peppers, it lists summer garden ratatouille and fajitas in addition to stuffed peppers and over 40 other recipes - it goes beyond just the main ingredient or recipe title. When trying to decide what to make with what I already have, this is always the first place I look.

Many of the main dishes are vegetarian, and there are also plenty of recipes with meat - I appreciate the variety. As a side note, if you want to try growing some of your own veggies, I would recommend Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT!!! November 14, 2009

By Maggie M.

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This cookbook was recommended to me by a friend, and I have to say, I love it. This cookbook is really fun to flip through, and it makes me want to cook up a storm. I've tried a bunch of recipes, and not a single one has disappointed. It has a really interesting organizational format (by seasons). Lots of healthy but yummy recipes, and you really can't beat the price. I am giving some as Christmas gifts this year.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Thinking the right way December 6, 2009

By Bludevil412

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Limited on some vegetables, but covers the most common local/seasonal vegetables such that this will be great for most people. If only there were more turnip recipes... All in all good, gets you started thinking about food in the right way.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent cookbook for from scratch recipes. February 1, 2010

By W. Domeier

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I received this cookbook as a gift. I like the variety of recipes for the different seasons. The ingredients are simple and what you may already have in your pantry. This is one of those cookbooks you may read cover to cover with all the extra information added. I bought 2 more books to give as gifts.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Seasonal cooking December 2, 2009

By M. L. Reynolds

Format:Spiral-bound|Amazon Verified Purchase

Great recipes that are tested in real kitchens. Not Haute cuisine, but food that will please a family on a normal budget, and in all parts of the country. Seasonal cooking also means that you can take advantage of better prices when fresh local vegetables are available in the grocery store.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars If I could only have one cookbook I'd choose this one March 29, 2010

By lees

Format:Paperback

This is the cookbook I use most often, and my favorite of the cookbooks I have. The recipes are easy to cook, taste great, and use herbs you're likely to have on hand. The recipes are all based on combinations of vegetables (and meats) that are in season at the same time, so you really can use what's growing in your garden or available at the farmer's market. The index includes both a listing by the recipe name and more importantly an index by ingredient, so if you have a lot of parsnips (or whatever you have), you can look up all the recipes that include that ingredient. The recipes also often list various substitutions that would work well, so it helps you realize that the recipe is just a guide and you can improvise. In that way this cookbook has also helped me become a better cook, to think through what ingredients we have and how they would work well together, based generally on a recipe that I'm used to from the book. The grouping of recipes by season is useful if you just want to page through and decide what to cook, you only have to look through the pages for the season you're in. The only thing that could be improved is the index, if you want to find a specific recipe but don't remember it's title you have to look it up either by key ingredient or by paging through its season. All around, the best day to day cookbook I have, great all year long.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply in Season vs Farmer John's December 7, 2010

By K. P. Scherpelz

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I purchased this book 2 months ago in order in increase our household's recipe armory with which to do battle with the massive amounts of CSA produce which attempt to overpower us weekly. It's done very well -- I think we've used it every week since then. It's worth mentioning that I am not a recipe follower; I like to tweak (adding chocolate chips to pumpkin bread, decreasing the amount of pasta and increasing the amount of cayenne...) So most of the recipes I have made from this book have been tweaked, but they would probably have been fine as written.

Likes: A variety of recipes using fruits and vegetables. It isn't vegetarian, but meat is not the star of the meals. Some not-very-fruit-or-vegetable recipes are included -- e.g. granola, flavored butter, naan, yogurt-- so it is almost a stand-alone cookbook.
The layout of the book is very clear with good use of color: an initial section on the basics of fruits and vegetables -- what they look like, how to store and cook... Then chapters on spring, summer, fall, winter, and anytime foods, each of which is organized by type of dish (breads, soups, main dishes, desserts, canning...) Along the vertical edge of each page are faintly printed the basic fruits and vegetables of that season, while those used specifically in that page's recipe are in bold. Recipes often list alternate vegetables that can be used, and some offer variations of seasonings or fruits used in a pie.
The index is wonderful: First an alphabetical index of recipe names, then an index by fruit, then an index by vegetable, then by protein/dairy/grains, then by herbs. Definitely makes using up your CSA box easier.
Favorite recipes we've made: Nutty Pumpkin Bread and Meltaway Cabbage.... (These are also wonderful in that they use large quantity of vegetable, rather than just a little.)

Dislikes: Layout of individual pages. Recipes are written with a few ingredients, then cooking steps. Next, more ingredients, followed by the next set of cooking steps. Repeat. Ingredients are bolded, but it's a little hard to scan the whole page to make sure I have everything.
Also, at the bottom of many pages (below short recipes) are random factoids and quotes or paragraphs about the importance of local/organic methods. I'd probably prefer blank space.
We have difficulty using our cucumber, and these recipes seem uninspired (i.e. it still tastes like cucumber). For more vegetable recipes, especially for beets, cucumbers, and root vegetables, check out Farmer John's Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables which I also own (and reviewed).

Overall, if you want one CSA cookbook, I would start with this one; if you have large quantities of produce to deal with or get bored easily, add on the Farmer John's cookbook for a greater variety of vegetable recipes. Read more ›