Ruffage (Chronicle Books)

Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables is not your typical cookbook-it is a how-to-cook book of a variety of vegetables. Author Abra Berens-chef, farmer, Midwesterner-shares a collection of techniques that result in new flavors, textures, and ways to enjoy all the vegetables you want to eat.

From confit to caramelized and everything in between-braised, blistered, roasted and raw-the cooking methods covered here make this cookbook a go-to reference. Treasure trove of 300 recipes. Spanning 29 types of vegetables-from asparagus to zucchini-each chapter opens with an homage to the ingredients and variations on how to prepare them.

140 photographs show off not only the finished dishes, but also the vegetables and farms behind them. Vegetables as a side or a main. Take any vegetable recipe in this book and add a roasted chicken thigh, seared piece of fish, or hard-boiled egg to turn the dish into a meal not just vegetarians will enjoy.

Some bound-to-be favorite recipes include: * Shaved Cabbage with Chili Oil, Cilantro, and Charred Melon * Blistered Cucumbers with Cumin Yogurt and Parsley * Charred Head Lettuce with Hard-Boiled Egg, Anchovy Vinaigrette, and Garlic Bread Crumbs * Massaged Kale with Creamed Mozzarella, Tomatoes, and Wild Rice * Poached Radishes with White Wine, Chicken Stock and Butter Ruffage will help you become empowered to shop for, store, and cook vegetables every day and in a variety of ways.

You'll learn about the life and life-giving properties of plants the way a farmer sees it, build experience and confidence to try your own original variations, and never look at vegetables the same way again.