Cookbook review: Vegetables

By Tom Mentzer
Scripps Howard News Service
June 9, 2007

It may take an apple a day to keep that doctor at bay, but a whole bunch of veggies sure won't hurt.

Luckily the masters at the Culinary Institute of America are offering us a new guide toward vegetable nirvana, aptly named Vegetables (Lebhar-Friedman Books, $40).

Like other recent CIA cookbooks, "Vegetables" puts an international spin on the subject, with recipes spanning the globe. From soups, appetizers and salads to entrees and side dishes, this volume covers a lot of ground.

The entree section might be the weakest, though marketing vegetables as a main course will always be a stretch in this country. The heart of the book lies in its accompaniments. The soup section is especially deep, even featuring several chilled versions.

This book is well-timed, a perfect fit for summer's lighter meals. Indeed, pick just about any two recipes from this book and you'll have a tasty, light dinner. And healthy, too.

For those serious meat-and-potato types, there's even a section on sauces and relishes that would pair well with most meaty courses. And many of the side dishes would be at home on any table.

Luckily, many recipes feature lesser-known vegetables, serving up some variety for home cooks. While this book doesn't claim to be a comprehensive reference, it does offer advice for cooking up a wide variety of root vegetables, squash, the unloved Brussels sprout, even the little-known long bean.

This volume pairs well with the increased prevalence of well-stocked grocery stores. Some of the ingredients may have been difficult to find even five years ago, but now items such as chayote, green papaya and endive can often be found at the neighborhood supermarket--or at the very least the nearest organic, granola-loving outpost.

And while this is a great summer read, it has year-round appeal. Maple-glazed Brussels sprouts with chestnuts sounds perfect for a fall evening, while roasted eggplant stuffed with curried lentils would make for a wonderful winter weekend lunch.

The brief but well-chosen sauce and relish section is a great capper to the volume. From pickles and pesto to tomato sauce and salsa, it offers a variety of great additions to a meal. The hazelnut romesco sauce, with red peppers, tomatoes and garlic, isn't to be missed.

Experts recommend that we each consume more than two cups of vegetables each day to maintain a healthy diet. Needless to say, many of us fall far short. But with tasty recipes as our guide, it's a worthy goal to shoot for. And Vegetables gets us started down that path.

(Tom Mentzer is a freelance writer. Contact him at tom.mentzer@gmail.com.)