• FeastsandFestivals on June 22, 2012

  Jane Grigson can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned, this and the companion fruit book have been my kitchen standbys for years. So much more than just recipe books, inspiring, unpatronising, thorough, thoughtful and a reminder that food is about so much more than just eating.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Fennel baked with Parmesan cheese (Finocchio alla parmigiana)

  • Tommelise on May 29, 2010

    So simple - so good - this is one of my favorite dishes with fennel

• Jerusalem artichokes en daube (Adobo de patassoùn)

  • wester on April 26, 2010

    A good vegetable stew. I do wish they had told how long it needs to stew, as that is very long actually - about one hour after the wine has been added.

• Celeriac soup

  • wester on September 03, 2010

    A nice sturdy soup. The ceps are a nice touch, but my husband thought there was too much sour cream in it, even though I had already toned it down quite a bit. It also needs more liquid. A ladleful of water plus 300 ml of cream does not really make a pan of soup.

• Eggs, ham or sole Florentine (Oeufs, jambon ou sole à la florentine)

  • wester on September 30, 2013

    Very simple and basic recipe, but always nice to have around. Most of the ingredients in the list are for the sauce Mornay, and are not really necessary. Just make a cheese sauce according to your favorite recipe. I didn't find any difference in taste between soft-boiled eggs and poached ones, and I found it impossible to shell eggs that are as soft as I want them in this recipe. So, either poach them or have hard-boiled eggs.

• French bean and almond soup

  • wester on September 03, 2010

    A lovely light soup. I made it without the savory and I did not miss it at all.

• Beetroot and orange salad

  • wester on September 03, 2010

    Not much of a recipe, but this sure is a wonderful combination. These two complement each other perfectly. I always ignore the serving arrangement she suggests though. I think it looks much better when they are mixed together and the beetroot gives some of that lovely color to the oranges.

• Cardoons with anchovies (Cardons aux anchois)

  • wester on November 03, 2014

    The first time I tried cardoons, and well worth repeating. The slightly bitter taste of the cardoons combines well with the umami of the anchovies and the richness of the butter. Maybe the next time add a tiny splash of wine or vinegar.

• Crécy soup (Potage Crécy)

  • wester on September 03, 2010

    A bit bland. Probably good baby food.

• Carrot salad with raisins

  • wester on December 10, 2010

    Very basic, but good.

  • heatherlee on May 18, 2021

    I substituted pecans for the almonds. Very simple to make with ingredients on hand.

• Stuffed cabbage in the Trôo style

  • wester on September 03, 2010

    Peasant cooking. Plain, simple, delicious. It does need two hours in the oven. ETA: can be done with white cabbage but needs much longer. Three hours oven time, possibly four.

• Cauliflower in the Polish style (Choufleur à la polonaise)

  • wester on September 03, 2010

    A nice different way of cooking cauliflower, adding some crispness without becoming overly complicated.

• Broad beans and rice

  • Avocet on July 28, 2011

    Very good. Nice as a side dish with grilled salmon and cucumber riata. Amount of butter called for is excessive. Used 2 T and that was quite adequate.

• Potato moussaka

  • mcvl on March 27, 2015

    Nice. Better left over than straight from the oven.

• Fennel avgolemono soup

  • mcvl on June 30, 2022

    Guys, this is so good! Having turned vegan, I replaced the fish broth with MSG broth and the real eggs with Just Egg, but believe me, the result was as richly satisfying as I could hope. As Grigson suggests, I was using fennel trimmings, and my immersion blender made quick work of them, as well as the cooked rice I used to make the broth more substantial. I will undoubtedly make this again and again.

• Gratin Dauphinois

  • chriscooks on August 01, 2011

    Works well. Variations -- a generous pinch of thyme in the milk, about 1/2 c each of finely diced ham and finely diced raw onion, romano and breadcrumbs on top, fresh or sauteed or reconstituted dried mushrooms with the potatoes.

• Beans with corn and pumpkin (Porotos granados)

  • chriscooks on July 30, 2011

    This is one of many similar recipes that make a soup/stew of corn, beans, and winter squash. Easy to modify, like by making it more spicy. Good for cool weather.

• Asparagus and chicken gratin

  • chriscooks on July 30, 2011

    This is a standby of mine. It does not need the cream.

• Danish celery and cheese soup

  • chriscooks on August 01, 2011

    Blue cheese and celery! what more do you need? You can cook it till the celery is mush, or leave it a tad al dente.

• Gratin aux cèpes

  • veronicafrance on October 04, 2013

    Delicious, rich and creamy. I used fresh ceps -- put in as many as you can afford, but not necessarily the 3/4 kg suggested by Jane, unless you've had a bonanza mushroom hunting session.

• Curried parsnip soup

  • veronicafrance on December 26, 2011

    If you must eat parsnips, this is the way to do them -- a much-copied recipe. A really good winter soup. This version is a bit more elaborate and spicier than the one in English Food, which just uses a dash of curry powder.

• Betty Bolgar's leek and mushroom tart

  • veronicafrance on April 26, 2013

    Easy, cheap, delicious. What more can you ask? I'd happily serve small ones as a substantial first course for a dinner party.

• Cabbage kulebiaka

  • Yildiz100 on March 04, 2018

    Uses dried dill, not fresh. Like most of the recipes in this book, this recipe provides an overview of the steps to making the dish but leaves the cook to figure out a lot of the details for themselves, so it isn't very useful if you dont have some cooking experience to rely on. In this case she doesnt specify how to cook the cabbage (temperature, with a lid or without, time) so I cooked it over low heat with a lid until it reached the desired texture. She also gives no recipe for the pastry. I used store bought from Picard and it was just the right size for the filling. I used 4 eggs (she states 4 to 5) and thought the egg really brought the dish together. Next time will use 5. Also reduced the butter quite a bit. It is nicer on the side as the pastry stays crisp. Baking times and temps were just right.

• Professor Van Mons' Brussels sprouts

  • JLDuck on December 23, 2017

    It may have come from 1818 but it is delicious. I sliced the Brussels and steamed them.

• Parmigiana di melanzane

  • tekobo on September 26, 2018

    Very good indeed. More cheesy than auberginey but great.

• Tomato and oatmeal tart

  • GumboGirl on April 25, 2020

    I have made this recipe many times over many years. It uses canned tomatoes so it works year-round. Make sure to get the tomato mixture nice and thick before adding the cheese. I love the texture that the oatmeal crust adds even though it is somewhat crumbly.