Customer Reviews

Smith & Hawken: The Gardeners' Community Cookbook

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First of all, let me just say that every review here is 100% accurate. I've had this gem of a cookbook for a little over a year and no I am not a gardner. But I do love to cook and shop at the farmer's market. I was not even that great of a cook, but when I cook recipes from this book, friends and family think I'm amazing. The recipes are easy and so fun to prepare. It's a health conscious cookbook in that it features fruits and vegetables in abundance without using hardly any ingredients that contain additives, preservatives, or chemicals. Everything is fresh and bursting with flavor. All recipes contain a little note from the contributor that gives the recipe a personal feel plus it's just fun to read. There are also sidebars with tidbits of information and quotes from great poets, authors, and playwrights. In addition, there are hints and tips throughout. No there are no pictures, but as one reviewer said, we don't need them. Your imagination comes alive. This cookbook has been an inspiration to me and it has given me a new passion for cooking wonderful meals. My little brother who is in college implores me to make his favorite menu when he comes home to visit: Herbed Chicken Salad with Whole Wheat Biscuits (pg.77) and Lemon-Herb Tea Cake with Lemon Glaze (pg.400) for dessert. Even my husband and two small children adore the food I prepare from my cherished cookbook. I just have to add that the Steamed Scallops Supreme (pg.193) is heaven on earth!!

I bought this book knowing that due to Victoria Wise's involvement, there would be many recipes I would want to try. I discovered that the contributors are a wonderful sampling of the cooking public-- people just like me, and illustrious chefs/food professionals(I was delighted to find a recipe from the Pasta Shop, which has one of the best Delis in Berkeley). Photographs are not necessary! These recipes excite the imagination...they renew your zest for seasonal eating. I do not see the absence of photos to be an area in which this book is lacking. Most of these recipes are dead easy, and the majority are quick! Best of all, they are inspirational to the person who does not have a garden but enjoys going to the market often, looking for what is best in season. Don't hesitate because it does not look like a copy of "Martha Stewart Living". This book is attractive, well edited, nicely laid out, and unlike many a glossy chef-opus, well-tested (read the preface and author thanks) These are clearly beloved, well used recipes!

This book not only provides a wonderful collection of unique recipes, but is an inspiration to cook in new and tasteful ways. The pasta and vegetable side dishes are especially amazing. This is by far the best cookbook I've ever ran across. Even if you're not a gardener I highly suggest this book: But be warned, if you're not a gardener, this book might turn you into one.

I picked up this book one afternoon while browsing the gardening books. Smith & Hawken's "Book of Outdoor Gardening" was already one of my mainstays for outdoor work, and now this cookbook has become a "must have" indoors. The recipes are excellent, and so wonderfully varied that just about anyone will find something of interest within. It's organized in sections like "Main Dishes" and "Vegetable Sides," making it a snap to put together a whole meal. Enhancing the books' usefulness are the many sidebars and headnotes at the top of each recipe which give not only serving suggestions, but gardening tips and techniques. About the only "down side" that I can think of... my family now insists that I cook every single night!

This is a wonderful cookbook for the harvest season that we all enjoy. Wonder what to do with those delightful fresh veggies, and fruits no more. This book is packed with all sorts of fantastic recipes that cover everything imaginable. This book is really not meant for vegans, but many vegetarians would find many suitable recipes in this book. The instructions are clear and reasy to read, so you won't have a problem following along. I have had this book now for about 3 years, and I still enjoy it a great deal.

I know this book is a couple of years old, but it's still a very worth-while purchase, especially with the farmers' markets coming out of hibernation.

Filled with over 400 pages of recipes, there's something new to try with every visit to the market. In addition to all those mouth-watering recipes, you'll find plenty of gardening tips to produce a bounty in your own backyard.

A wonderful collection of garden recipes; fresh, flavorful, and some unusual. A nice selection of canning and preserves recipes from basic tomato sauces to chutneys. My favorite is for canned red bell peppers with cloves and cinnamon in a sugar/vinegar syrup. Perfect on omelets or pizzas.

All the recipes are from home gardeners. Some are great hand-me-down recipes from families and include the story behind them. Not a photo-heavy book, but great info.

This is by far my favorite cookbook, probably because I am little obsessed with produce. These aren't run-of-the-mill recipes, nor are they too "weird" and exotic for most palates. I use this book frequently to make everything from soups to sauces to main dishes and deserts. There is also a plethora of wonderful gardening and produce preparation information in sidebars throughout the book. It's truly useful, and truly wonderful.

The recipes in this book have been collected from gardeners around the country. The ingredients lists are often very interesting as well as are the stories that often accompany the recipes. I normally like color pictures, but you can't have everything!

I love this cookbook. My only regret is that I don't use it often enough. The salads, soups, pastas, entrees, vegetables, and everything else is excellent. There's wide variety here as well as subtle touches to basic recipes to make them different. A cookbook worth having and cooking from.