• ellabee on November 14, 2013

  Per report by Susie, not as tall as Vegetable Literacy, and most importantly on much lighter paper stock, so not nearly as unwieldy. 150 new recipes. It may not be a must for existing VCFE owners if the original's still in one piece, but it's a rock-solid bible and inspiration book to give new cooks, new households, and anyone who doesn't have the original.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Summer squash soup with salsa verde

  • jaelsne on June 16, 2014

    My husband and I both enjoyed this dish. He usually hates zucchini, so I called it "pesto soup." He didn't know the difference because the soup is so flavorful. I added the pesto option slowly, tasting as I went, and didn't find it overpowering.

  • HarlanH on July 29, 2011

    Light and tangy. Try serving with fish. Better if only half pureed at the end.

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    The salad verde overpowers the zucchini

• Green herb tart

  • jaelsne on January 18, 2015

    I'm a pastry novice, and this recipe came out absolutely beautiful. It tasted as good as it looked. I wish I could share a photo--this was a winner! The recipe has an option--changing gruyere to feta and adding dill, which is the option I chose. I may add toasted pine nuts next time for a textural change--but I may not--how does one improve upon PERFECT?!

• Green barley and kale gratin

  • jaelsne on January 16, 2017

    We loved this recipe. Used it as a light supper main course dish.

  • aeader on October 12, 2013

    Served this for dinner along with roast chicken. It was very tasty and we enjoyed having a new way to use up all the kale we have been getting in our CSA. The only change I would make is to use extra Gruyere cheese next time.

  • Hawley on January 29, 2014

    Liked this in concept, but thought it was a bit bland.

  • sarahkalsbeek on July 03, 2020

    We made this with some significant substitutions, trying to use what we have! Used spigariello instead of kale because we had it from our CSA, and we didn't puree it, just blanched it and chopped it small. Used shredded mozzarella and Parmesan instead of Gruyere, and added a little more than the recipe called for and some extra on top. Baked for 40+ minutes instead of 30 minutes. So it was different, but the same in spirit, and was incredibly delicious! Next time, I'd add lemon zest and try the Gruyere.

• Cauliflower gratin with tomatoes and feta

  • Jane on July 27, 2017

    This was quite pleasant but I didn't like it enough to ever make it again.

  • Delys77 on November 22, 2012

    This was easy to prepare and the broiled feta and cauliflower had a nice texture and pretty good flavour. Not a bad dish as a side but doesn't stand up as a main as she says since it is a little too simple and one note.

  • pattyatbryce on January 06, 2019

    Very enjoyable side dish with nice Greek-flavors. Not enough protein to be a main for my tastes. Would definitely make again because of ease as well.

• Golden gratin of carrots, rutabagas, and turnips

  • Laurendmck on February 03, 2013

    Delicious! The bechamel wasn't "thin" like Madison said, and I couldn't strain out the aromatics for that reason, but it was delicious on the gratin unstrained.

• Braised escarole with onion

  • Cheri on January 22, 2010

    mixed with recipe from How to Cook Everything - Vegetables, by adding onion recommended here. Richard did not like the onion

• Apple and celery salad with Gruyère

  • Cheri on November 13, 2010

    This was pretty good. Served with bbq ribs, nice compliment. R was so so on this one.

  • featherbooks on December 13, 2012

    Six guests (bookclub) and two asked for the recipe so I'd say it was a success. We had very good, heirloom apples from the yard plus a decent Gruyere.

  • LauraG on December 13, 2012

    This has become a family favorite--never any left over.

  • rpepper on January 28, 2018

    Very good winter salad. Will become a go-to.

• Ravioli and tomato salad with masses of basil

  • westminstr on July 19, 2013

    This salad was my contribution to a Fourth of July backyard barbecue potluck. Preparation is simple. Ripe tomatoes are peeled, seeded and chopped (this is the hardest part) and combined with olives, capers, jarred marinated artichoke hearts, olive oil and an entire bunch of basil which has been torn into pieces. Cook your ravioli, drain well, and gently combine with the other ingredients. Season to taste with s&p and a bit of vinegar. In the headnotes, DM mentions that she often uses this salad as a picnic salad, and I found that it served the purpose well as it was very tasty and held up well at room temperature on a hot day. My only complaint was with the ravioli themselves -- I had to use what was available at the grocery store, and I think it would have made a difference to make the extra effort to get special, really good ones.

• Basic lentils

  • westminstr on December 17, 2013

    I had an old basic recipe for lentils I always loved, and I thought it was this one. However when I made this recently I overcooked the lentils :( so am not sure whether it is this recipe I love so much or not.

• Spaghetti with tomatoes, olives, and capers

  • westminstr on March 31, 2014

    This is a great pantry pasta that cooks in the time it takes to make the pasta if you use canned tomatoes, which I did. I subbed dried oregano for the marjoram and omitted the parsley. Used 3/4 pound of pasta. Next time use a full pound or reduce the capers a bit. It would be better with the parsley but was still quite good without.

• Buttermilk skillet corn bread

  • westminstr on April 29, 2014

    This cornbread was easy and pretty tasty. The buttermilk adds tenderness. I liked it better than the last version I made, but I'd like to find a 100% cornmeal version that I like, so I will continue to experiment.

• A little nut cookie

  • westminstr on December 17, 2013

    I just made these cookies for the first time and really enjoyed them. I used all brown sugar and a mix of walnuts, pistachios and almonds (mostly walnut and very little almond), as that is what I had on hand. The pistachios were roasted and salted and that turned out great! I thought the cookie dough was a bit undersalted, but the contrast between the sweet cookie and salty nuts was really fantastic. I made the cookies the old-fashioned way, in a single bowl with a wooden spoon, and they were quick and easy and very good.

• Saffron cannelloni with chard filling and chard stem garnish

  • debwfrank on December 08, 2010

    Allow 2 hours. Made with store-bought cannelloni. Bechamel takes 45 min, so make first. Tasty.

• Peperonata

  • jzanger on September 02, 2012

    Added a splash of Champagne vinegar at the end. Was great on crostini with fresh mozzarella and basil.

• Buckwheat flapjacks with molasses butter

  • jzanger on April 17, 2011

    Amazingly light texture, but the 1/4 cup molasses was too much for my taste, especially in the morning. I'd make these again but use only 1 tbsp of molasses. Be prepared to feed several people as it makes a lot!

• Baba ghanoush

  • jzanger on August 18, 2013

    Wonderful, no frills. If you have access to it, I suggest grilling the eggplant rather than oven roasting it, especially with the simplicity of this recipe. I halved the recipe and it came out great!

  • mel412 on September 06, 2010

    Perfection...simple ingredients make a delicious dip!

  • vickster on July 28, 2013

    Good, basic Baba ghanoush recipe. I cut the tahini in half because I didn't want it to overpower the eggplant, but may add more next time.

  • christineakiyoshi on September 14, 2020

    Made this based on the reviews and I concur. Simple and delicious! We had Japanese eggplant from the garden so used it.

• Oat scones

  • jzanger on March 01, 2011

    These are great, and an added bonus is that they're simple. Accuracy of measurements is important, however. Try toasting the oats in a skillet beforehand for extra nuttiness! Also, Half-and-half produced a nicely tender product. I will make these again.

• Roasted beets with anise vinaigrette

  • Breadcrumbs on July 07, 2012

    It’s entirely my fault that we liked but didn’t love this salad. I forgot to grind the anise seeds so we had a textural issue with the finished dish as the seeds were too toothsome and annoyingly gritty. Loved the flavour combo of the anise w the beets though so I’ll definitely make this again, the right way! Lots of potential here. Next time I’ll finish w some fennel pollen as well.

• Butternut squash ravioli with toasted pecans and sage

  • Breadcrumbs on April 07, 2012

    A lovely dish. In this case, I had ravioli on hand so it was just the sauce I was after. I recently had a similar dish at a restaurant and it was served w brown butter so I opted to brown the butter for this dish as well. Results were amazing. The nuttiness of the butter and pecans paired perfectly w the sweet squash and the subtle bite of the garlic. I finished this w a light dusting of parmesan. This would be good w asparagus or peas as well. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/842277#7261126

• Eggplant rounds with shallots and basil

  • Laura on August 14, 2010

    8/23/09: This dish has potential but something is missing. I served it as a side dish. My suggestions are to roast the eggplant until they're really done. Also, saute shallots in olive oil, or roast, rather than using them raw. Use lots of balsamic.

• Wilted spinach salad

  • Laura on May 27, 2012

    This salad is really good. It's easy to make the pickled onions and the garlic-rubbed croutons. I used feta cheese. Unfortunately, I forgot to add the croutons after making them. Anyway, we both really enjoyed the salad, even without the croutons.

• Cabbage slaw with spicy greens

  • Laura on May 04, 2010

    All I can say is, "Wow, wow, wow, can't get enough of this!"

• Creamy herb and shallot dressing

  • Laura on June 12, 2012

    This has very good flavor. However, as written, it is way too thick to be a dressing. I doubled the olive oil and tarragon vinegar and that thinned it out enough to dress a salad. It was still on the thicker side. Served it over a mix of watercress, field greens, roasted baby beets, shredded baby turnips and carrots and green beans. Made a lovely and delicious dressed salad.

• Winter herb vinaigrette

  • Laura on September 14, 2010

    This is excellent!

• Winter squash soup with lemongrass and coconut milk

  • Laura on October 03, 2012

    A cautionary note: if you’re going to follow this recipe to the letter, it’s going to take about 2.5 hours to complete. The first instruction is to make the Stock for Curried Dishes (pg. 197), which involves the Basic Vegetable Stock (p. 196) plus additional herbs and spices and also some peelings from the ingredients in the soup itself, so you need to get a jump on that. The name of this recipe may lead one to expect a chunky soup, but it’s a pureed soup – I used my VitaMix and the puree was silky smooth and a really lovely light golden color with a subtle flavor. It was thinner than I would have liked, and not quite as flavorful and aromatic as I expected. The thinness may have had to do with the kind of coconut milk I used, so I’m not going to fault the recipe. As far as the flavor, I didn’t have galangal, I used a lot of baby ginger which is extremely aromatic and I pureed it into the soup rather than using it as a garnish.

  • ellabee on February 28, 2013

    Delicious. Many versions of this online, most acknowledging Madison as origin. Followed one in which the spices in the 'stock for curried dishes' are put in cheesecloth bundle and simmered along with the squash, veg stock, onion, garlic, jalapeno, lemongrass, and ginger -- definite time and energy savings. Separate prep might be even better, but doubt it would be worth the extra resources. Halved it for the two of us, and had enough for seconds, which we were eager for. Made again w full recipe; froze half. Lost some zing in storage, assertive garnish can compensate.

  • TrishaCP on January 20, 2017

    This was fine, and better than fine with the fresh herbs and especially the lime juice added on top (the lime juice is a must), but otherwise I am leaning towards the meh rather than the love camp on this. The flavors were too subtle to really hold my interest.

  • adrienneyoung on March 02, 2013

    I made it with almond milk rather than coconut milk. Not all that terrific.

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Fabulous Asian flavors with great tang and richness

• Springtime asparagus soup

  • Laura on May 03, 2010

    This soup is quite time-consuming if you also make the 'quick stock.' If you were to use commercial vegetable broth it would be considerably faster. We enjoyed it quite a bit, although it was not an eye-popping, revelatory experience. Don't forget the lemon juice -- really brightens the flavors. Recommend using Jasmati rice as it has such a nice flavor.

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    The rice and leeks give it a relatively creamy texture without any cream. Nice and low points.

  • cassiemcgannon on February 12, 2013

    Nice enough, though not anything special. Like a lot of recipes in this book, I found it a bit bland, and would use a stronger stock if I made it again.

• Red lentil soup with turmeric and lime

  • Laura on November 29, 2009

    We LOVED this soup! It was so flavorful, colorful, beautiful and healthy! The presentation is lovely. What's not to like? Made it as written, with the exception that we did not add the yogurt. Next time (and there will be a next time!), I would double the rice and spinach because both are gone and we still have half of the soup left for tomorrow :)

  • saveur on March 02, 2013

    I really enjoyed the combination of mustard and lime in this red lentil soup.

  • TrishaCP on March 13, 2017

    We absolutely loved this one too. I thought the lime and mustard seed were the perfect amount. I think the rice and spinach are a must, but the yogurt felt a bit superfluous. It makes a boatload of soup, so this is good for a crowd or to freeze for later.

  • Delys77 on June 05, 2012

    This soup is akin to a thinned out dal in terms of its consistancy, but a tad more flavourful. Great colour, healthful and very filling. I really like this soup and will make it again. My only modification might be to cut back on the mustard seed a tad since I enjoy the flavour but can find it a tad overpowering.

  • clancotter on April 08, 2013

    Made a lot of soup and I agree with previous post, I added more spinach. I liked the tangy edge given by the lime. I would make again possibly half quantity.

• White bean soup with pasta and rosemary oil

  • Laura on November 28, 2011

    This is very good! There are many variations you can make with this soup. I decided to puree the entire quantity in my Vitamix and it produced a light orange, lovely, thick puree that was really tasty. I cooked some whole wheat Orzo instead of the shells that were called for. In its pureed form, I think the soup really didn't need the pasta. I wouldn't add it in the future if I puree the entire soup. The rosemary oil is really flavorful -- a must.

  • lauralouiselane on October 11, 2011

    This soup is hearty and absolutely delicious!

  • Zosia on March 01, 2014

    Hearty and flavourful soup that didn't require an overnight soak for the dried beans. Loved the rosemary oil.

• Quinoa chowder with spinach, feta, and scallions

  • Laura on September 06, 2012

    You have to like how healthy this is. And easy to prepare. And, it was not bad, but it wasn't that great either. The flavors were just too subtle and the broth was a little too thin, even though I added more spinach than called for. I will say that I enjoyed it a lot more the next morning for breakfast. The quinoa had absorbed more of the broth and the flavors seemed stronger. It felt like a very wholesome and nourishing meal, if not terribly exciting.

  • HarlanH on July 29, 2011

    may need salt if feta is mild

  • lauralouiselane on October 11, 2011

    This is super easy to make and a favorite in my house.

• Spaghetti squash with oyster mushroom and pearl onion ragout

  • Laura on December 07, 2010

    My husband really enjoyed this, but I was less enthusiastic -- possibly because I was the one who put in the labor -- this is a fairly labor-intensive recipe. Despite the weird combination of ingredients (tomato paste and soy sauce), it did taste fine, just nothing special considering the length of prep involved. On the plus side, it is fairly healthy, if you ignore the small quantities of sugar and butter involved.

• Vegetable stir-fry with glass noodles

  • Laura on January 16, 2010

    This dish is colorful, healthy and easy to make. Surprisingly, it doesn't have a lot of flavor, despite the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Also, it says it makes 4 servings, but 2 of us polished off the entire dish! So far, this is the only recipe I've made from this book that hasn't been fantastic.

• Mixed greens with cumin and paprika

  • Laura on February 11, 2013

    I felt that the amount of cumin and paprika was too much, their flavors overwhelmed the greens. In future, I'd either decrease both or eliminate altogether and add just the garlic/parsley/cilantro mixture.

  • LauraG on December 13, 2012

    Delicious with a mix of chard and mustard. Recipe isn't enough for three people, at least at our house.

• Braised chard with cilantro

  • Laura on August 14, 2010

    Made this for the first time this evening and we really liked it. Didn't cook it for the full 45 mins, more like 30 mins, so it was still a bit crunchy, which we liked. The flavors were really nice...usually I just saute chard with olive oil, garlic and a little water...I prefer this method from now on.

  • aeader on January 01, 2012

    I made this with beet greens instead of chard and it was good. I cooked it a bit longer than the recipe indicated because the stems on my greens were thicker. I am not a big fan of cilantro, but went ahead and included it anyway and was glad I did. The braising made the flavor more mild and it blended nicely.

• Flageolet beans with tomatoes and green beans

  • Laura on May 04, 2010

    5/4/10: This dish was quite a disappointment. No good flavors at all. Second time cooking flageolet beans and I am underwhelmed -- won't use them again.

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    Agree with the other review, this dish is very underwhelming. The tarragon was overpowering and the rest was strangely bland. Wouldn't repeat.

• Broccoli with garlic, red pepper flakes, and Parmesan

  • Laura on November 11, 2012

    We liked this a lot and it was simple to prepare. I agree with the previous reviewer that you can easily decrease the amount of oil -- 3 TBS seemed excessive. Will definitely make this again.

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    This was quite quick and very tasty. Good simple, healthy side. You dialed the oil back by half and it was fine. Don't be afraid to use a good amount of chili pepper flakes.

• Broccoli rabe with garlic and red pepper flakes

  • Laura on July 03, 2011

    Broccoli Rabe is my new favorite green. This is a simple and healthy way to prepare it. We really enjoyed it.

• Quinoa timbales with currants and pine nuts

  • Laura on December 08, 2010

    I love all of the ingredients that went into this dish, but the whole was not greater than the sum of its parts. This was just ok, nothing special. I did not bother to press the quinoa into the timbales as I was short of time.

• Mexican green rice with roasted chiles

  • Laura on August 28, 2010

    8/27/10: I had some roasted Hatch chiles from New Mexico and this seemed like a perfect way to use them. I did not include the mint, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. It was good, if not extraordinary. Was a nice accompaniment to grilled pork tenderloin with a Caribbean rub and a grilled peach salad.

• Beet risotto with greens

  • Laura on September 30, 2010

    Pg. 553. I can't praise this enough. The flavors and colors are so bright -- it's like Christmas on a plate.

• Stewed chickpeas, greens, and Moroccan spices

  • Laura on December 04, 2010

    This is certainly healthy, but not terribly exciting. If I were to make it again, I would double the chard.

  • lauralouiselane on October 11, 2011

    pg 309. I also like it with kale instead of chard

• Butternut squash gratin with onions and sage

  • gcottraux on April 14, 2010

    Quite delicious. Allow time for the preparation and baking (not a quick dish). Will definitely make again. Nice and savory. I was looking for a butternut squash recipe that didn't use sweet flavors, and this is great.

• Chickpea and spinach stew

  • vickster on June 17, 2017

    Nothing very exciting, but a good dish. Was trying to find a use for some chickpeas I made, and ate this as a side dish. I had to leave out the rosemary because my husband doesn't like it. I would make again.

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Filling and quick to put together is about the only thing I can say about this pasta. There is no sacue to speak of and the flavour was totally flat despite the fact that you used garlic bread crumbs and added some spinach.

• Spaghetti with artichokes

  • vickster on April 12, 2015

    I enjoyed this. Very light and easy recipe and good way to use small artichokes. I had it with Trader Joe's Quinoa and Brown Rice Pasta instead of spaghetti.

• Hearty lentil soup

  • vickster on January 19, 2019

    Very good lentil soup, elevated by the addition of sherry vinegar and dijon mustard. I cooked it in my Instant Pot and added mustard greens after it was done.

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    This is an excellent lentil soup; the sherry vinegar adds quite a bit. Easy, inexpensive, and delicious.

• Tofu in curry-coconut sauce

  • sfcarole on April 15, 2017

    I served this on brown basmati rice and we loved it. But I made a few changes. First, I added a minced clove of garlic to the initial aromatics and chiles. I omitted the "small red or green pepper" (I assume it is a bell pepper). I used 2 Thai chiles, as called for (not Serranos). I used a teaspoon of red chile paste AND a tablespoon of Thai curry powder. I used the optional Stock for Stir Fries rather than water. I made the stock first and since I couldn't find dried Shitake in Tahoe I used dried porcini! The stock still tasted Asian and, as directed, I fished the mushrooms out of the stock to chop up and add to the curry sauce. I also added about 8 ounces of cubed butternut squash and an extra 1/2 cup of water so the squash could simmer until tender. Then I added the tofu, which I had just simmered in some of the stock instead of frying.

  • TrishaCP on May 14, 2018

    I followed the recipe as written and thought it was boring and barely serviceable. Will not be repeating.

  • adrienneyoung on June 14, 2012

    Blistered the tofu in the wok first, added a zucchini to the peppers. Pretty good comfort food, but not, as written, a particularly spectacular curry.

• Empanadas with greens and olives

  • HunyBadger on May 11, 2010

    Disappointed in the empanada which was very bland....maybe needed lemon thyme in the dough? The spinach mixture on it's own was good and quick but as a whole, this was a lot more work than it was worth.

• Greens with garlic croutons and hard-cooked egg

  • HunyBadger on June 15, 2010

    The dressing is an excellent addition to this easy salad. DH and I loved it even without the croutons!

• Lime-cumin vinaigrette

  • radishseed on February 20, 2012

    A good salad: lettuce, clementines, red peppers, avocado, toasted nuts, and lime-cumin vinaigrette. Black beans or lentils would be make it heartier, as would quinoa or other grains. Bright and fresh, nice with Mexican or Indian food.

  • LauraG on December 13, 2012

    This is great on a salad of jicama and oranges.

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    This is a solid vinaigrette, interesting but still versatile. We used neutral oil instead of olive. As the other comment, good on jicama and orange as recommended in the book.

• Pizza dough

  • radishseed on March 08, 2013

    To make cornmeal crust skillet pizza: Substitute cornmeal for 1/3 of flour, and sub whole wheat flour for about 1/2 c. Preheat oven to 500 F. Skim bottom of cold cast iron skillet with veg. oil. Make a dough ball half the size of a normal pizza. Spread out dough in skillet. Add toppings. Place skillet on stovetop over medium heat. Cook for 3 min., until starting to brown on the bottom. Move to oven and bake 10 min.

• Cooked amaranth

  • radishseed on February 02, 2012

    I wasn't crazy about the version with the amaranth, teff, and quinoa cooked together. The texture is grainy and the flavor is a little bitter. It needs lots of good toppings to taste good.

• Golden fried bean curd with tomatoes

  • radishseed on November 16, 2012

    I love this dish. Sometimes I make it with the vegetarian nuoc mam, and sometimes I use real fish sauce (only 2 teaspoons instead of 2 tablespoons of the vegetarian sauce). The leftovers are good with a fried egg on top.

• Tempeh strips in a smoky molasses marinade

  • radishseed on October 21, 2013

    I love to make this flavorful tempeh for sandwiches.

• Dried apricot and ginger muffins

  • radishseed on October 06, 2012

    I used fresh pears instead of dried apricots to make pear-ginger muffins, and added the optional streusel topping. I also used whey instead of buttermilk. Very good!

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    The crystallized ginger provides some sweet heat and the apricot gives a nice sweet tang, overall a very nice flavour. The brown sugar is also nice but the overall flavour of the muffins wasn't super sweet, you could go a tiny bit heavier on the sugar.

• Spinach or chard Catalan style

  • radishseed on December 21, 2011

    One of my favorite simple chard recipes. Sometimes I add red pepper flakes, or red wine or balsamic vinegar.

  • cookerT on November 28, 2011

    This is a delicious way to do greens. The raisins give you a nice sweet pop and the pine nuts, texture.

• Penne with tomatoes, olives, lemon, and basil

  • radishseed on September 17, 2012

    This is a fast, fresh-tasting dish. Normally, I don't bother to peel tomatoes, but since I already had the pasta water going, it was easy to drop them in before cooking the pasta noodles. I substituted green olives for Niçoise, red onions for shallots, and arugula for parsley, because that's what I had, and it turned out very nice.

  • contrarywise on August 28, 2022

    Been making this dish to take advantage of peak summer tomatoes for decades. It never disappoints

• Chickpea soup with condiments

  • radishseed on April 03, 2014

    The first time I made this it was a little bland, but it was much improved with a few adjustments. I salted the chickpeas while they soaked, and then pressure cooked them in 4 cups of salted vegetable broth (instead of 10 cups of water) for 12 minutes with natural pressure release. I used the Pilpelchuma recipe from "Jerusalem" for the harissa, and the pickled turnip recipe from "Jerusalem." Instead of green onions, I put leftover tabbouli on top along with the other garnishes.

• Lentils and rice with fried onions

  • radishseed on January 18, 2012

    This is great on its own, and extra great with a spoonful of yogurt-garlic sauce on top.

• Stir-fried roasted eggplant

  • radishseed on August 26, 2013

    Mmmm. I've never met an eggplant stir-fry I didn't like.

• Light rye bread

  • radishseed on October 21, 2013

    I've made this bread as written in the recipe before, and it was good. This time I made it using the extra amount of whole wheat flour and blackstrap molasses instead of regular, and added the optional fennel seeds. The resulting bread has very strong flavors, and when I tried to make it into a sandwich, it was quite odd. Thus, a standalone bread. It might be good with certain soups or salads that harmonize with its bitter, fennelly flavor.

• Jam bars or tart

  • radishseed on January 28, 2014

    I like how quickly this comes together and how versatile it is, but the way mine turned out, it was definitely a bar cookie, not a tart. It was too thick and tough to eat with a fork, but perfect for eating with your hands. If I wanted something more tartlike, I would bake it in a larger pan than recommended, for a thinner crust, with a correspondingly thin layer of jam.

• Poppyseed cake

  • radishseed on May 28, 2013

    Not in possession of a springform pan, I baked this cake in an angel food tube pan, with good results. Then I added a vanilla glaze after it cooled, which makes it look pretty. It is moist and full of poppyseeds. I think it could be turned into an understated lemon-poppyseed cake with some lemon zest in the batter and a lemon glaze on top.

  • cassiemcgannon on May 16, 2012

    Online here: http://www.thewednesdaychef.com/the_wednesday_chef/2012/05/deborah-madisons-poppyseed-cake.html

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    I'm not entirely sure how one cup of poppyseeds can be stirred into half a cup of milk, but other than that this cake behaved itself. I added some Meyer lemon zest into the cake and a lemon glaze on top and it was lovely and moist with tea. The folks at work appreciated it.

• Cabbage and mushroom galette with horseradish sauce

  • ellabee on December 22, 2013

    See Smitten Kitchen recipe for alternative galette dough.

• Goat cheese soufflé with thyme

  • ellabee on January 04, 2014

    Used also as basis for a blue cheese souffle (outstanding served with roasted beets).

  • sarahkalsbeek on January 12, 2020

    This was my first souffle and it turned out great. She says to use a robust goat cheese. We used a pretty plain goat cheese and next time would definitely follow her advice and use one with more oomph. One issue with the online recipe: it says to cook the flour and butter for "several minutes" but gives no indication how long or what you are looking for before moving on to next step! I cooked it for about five minutes and it seemed to go ok.

• Green lentils with roasted beets and preserved lemon

  • ellabee on March 07, 2013

    Made with previously roasted whole beets (two, rather than four), cubed and reheated. Surprisingly excellent.

  • HarlanH on July 29, 2011

    Red beets are sorta overwhelming -- try with white or golden beets.

  • kkillebrew on April 20, 2014

    Another great use for preserved lemon!

• Cucumber and yogurt salad

  • ellabee on July 31, 2012

    Resulting tzatziki so excellent that I have no inclination to try other recipes.

• Carrot and red pepper soup

  • ellabee on December 24, 2013

    Agree with Delys about both the puree (what a great tool the immersion blender is!) and the orange. Soup is very Christmas-y looking while simmering, with the red pepper and green dill.

  • michalow on October 13, 2013

    http://section89.blogspot.mx/2009/09/slow-food-and-carrot-and-red-pepper.html

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Puree the soup as finely as possible and you can go with quite a bit of orange. The flavours are very nice, but they need the orange for pep.

• Herb-baked tomatoes

  • mlbatt on September 18, 2022

    Good use of extra farmstand tomatoes and a quick side dish baked in the toaster oven. Served with quinoa and brown butter swordfish (Melissa Clark recipe).

• Cracked wheat-honey bread

  • mlbatt on August 15, 2020

    Took about a cup more bread flour than recipe indicated. Tasty made with molasses; will try honey next time. Loved the crunch from the bulgur throughout, especially in the crust.

• Mexican dry soup (Fideos)

  • britt on September 16, 2010

    My husband liked this a lot, 9 out of 10, but I thought it was just OK.

  • sapahl on August 08, 2011

    I have experimented widely with this recipe and it is good as it is written. You can vary the type and amount of red chiles that you simmer with the stock - I have used New Mexicos, Guajillos, Anchos, and Ghost Chiles (take them out before the stock becomes too hot). I highly recommend Cotija cheese instead of the feta. Also, try adding chicken or seitan to the recipe to make it more satisfying.

• Winter portobello mushroom stew

  • okcook on March 19, 2013

    Excellent flavours. Will have it with creamy polenta.

  • HarlanH on July 29, 2011

    Wants slightly more onions and more liquid

• Onion frittata with vinegar and walnuts

  • Lindacakes on January 22, 2012

    The onions are quite rich and sweet, but the addition of the walnuts turns it into one of those gourmet vegetarian restaurant dishes -- in a bad way. Not necessary, and pulls what's good down. I would add more parsley if I made it again. A good recipe to use up superfluous onions.

  • jenburkholder on February 10, 2021

    I thought this was exceptional. I often find frittatas too heavy, but the massive quantity of onions lightens this one considerably, and with the fresh notes of parsley and sherry vinegar, and the crunch of the walnuts... wonderful. Will make again.

• Plum soup with wine

  • Kiyah on June 28, 2013

    I skipped the wine and the orange flower water and it was still great, just the thing for a hot summer meal.

• Sizzling risotto gratin

  • gmvetter on May 04, 2014

    Arborio or carnaroli rice

• Caramelized pineapple

  • lorloff on January 07, 2021

    This was easy to make and really great. We used rum and turbinado sugar. Will look for coconut sugar next time. Used coconut oil and it was delicious.

• Chard ribbons with cumin and lemon

  • lorloff on April 19, 2021

    This recipe was delicious. I chopped the chard stems in small pieces and sautéed them together with the onions. It worked perfectly. Highly recommended.

  • Bwolfe2 on April 16, 2017

    Quick and delicious. I didn't have fresh cilantro so I used a bit of roasted, dried coriander. I added cubed tofu to the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Might be yummy with an over-medium egg on top.

  • Bwolfe2 on April 18, 2017

    This was quick, easy. We had all the ingredients here and it was delicious!

• Tossed spinach lasagne with goat cheese gratin

  • Kjohns101 on September 04, 2019

    (p. 456) Requires making fresh spinach pasta (p. 446) I used to make this often in my pasta making days. It's a rich dish and quite tasty. It keeps well too for reheating. Best served with a big salad with nice vinaigrette.

• Vegetable gratin-soufflé

  • stacey on October 14, 2010

    Simple and comforting dish. Preparation is a bit fiddly with egg-separation and all, but it's pretty yummy and worthwhile.

• Turnip and leek gratin with blue cheese

  • stacey on October 23, 2010

    This made a fairly easy and elegant gratin.

• Sesame sauce with tofu

  • cespitler on November 03, 2012

    This is a quick and tasty dish that can be easily made after work. I cooked the tofu on the grill and served the sauce on the side over brown rice.

• Tortilla soup

  • jmunson on September 05, 2010

    You need to make a stock beforehand

• Roasted eggplant with dill, yogurt, and walnuts

  • Waderu on October 13, 2013

    Used roasted garlic instead of raw and pine nuts instead of walnuts. sprinkled a little bit of smoked paprika on top.

• Lentil minestrone

  • Emily Hope on October 07, 2021

    Perfect comforting soup for a chilly October night. Needed to use up some veggies, so included half a bulb of fennel. I only had 1 tbsp of tomato paste, so I added a few slow-roasted tomatoes from the freezer during the saute, along with a tomato from the garden added at the end (might do that again as I liked the pops of fresh flavor). Discovered at the last minute that I didn't have any parsley, so added a sprig of marjoram. Greens were chard, kale, and sorrel from the garden. Cooked in the IP for 6 min, then waited 5 min before a manual release, which resulted in pretty soft lentils that weren't quite falling apart.

• Cheese muffins

  • Emily Hope on January 22, 2020

    These were a hit for us--I swapped in some rye flour + some AP for the spelt as I was out and didn't want to mill any, and used a combination of sharp cheddar and aged gouda for the cheese. Would do this exact combo again--delicious, kept pretty well for leftovers (if toasted), good accompaniment to soup.

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Conceptually this is very interesting but the presentation is not great since the muffin comes out entirely white if you use white cheddar. It might be improved by adding a little cubes ham and using yellow cheddar.

• Spiced peach cobbler

  • moreace01 on October 19, 2010

    This was very good (in my haste - I used the juice of one lemon, so mine was a little overly lemony, but still good. Still - I might watch the lemon - 1 T plus zest is kind of a lot). I've noticed Madison has a tendency not to add salt to some of her recipes - so I added a pinch to the filling. Don't know - seems weird not to.

• Noodle kugel

  • moreace01 on October 19, 2010

    Alright - I don't know the first thing about kugel's so take this with a grain of salt. I thought the noodle part of this dish was great, but the topping kind of made it over the top sweet. I would try this again but less sugar in the topping. I also wasn't able to detect the coriander.

• Curried crookneck soup

  • TrishaCP on July 17, 2021

    This is a delicious way to use up the crookneck squash that come in my CSA that I would otherwise struggle to use. (And if you don’t like hot soup in the summer, make some to freeze.) Very simple recipe where you sauté onions and squash together, add the curry powder and then cook in veggie stock. (The ingredient list here is confusing since this is a variation of a recipe, but I didn’t use the scallions or rice.) I used about 4 instead of 6 cups of veggie stock, and made up for the liquid with a can of coconut milk.

• Buttermilk pancakes

  • TrishaCP on April 23, 2017

    These are just really light and airy-basically everything that I want in a pancake. I used 1/2 cup whole wheat flour to sub for some of the all-purpose flour and added frozen blueberries.

• Zucchini frittata with basil

  • TrishaCP on August 08, 2017

    Not quite as delectable as Marcella Hazan's zucchini frittata, but we enjoyed this. We added about 1/2 cup of ricotta. The basil kept things tasting very fresh.

• Sesame noodles with asparagus tips

  • we10mom on October 20, 2011

    I love these noodles and this is my go-to recipe when I need to bring a salad somewhere. I always get requests for this recipe. I have also made this by varying the vegetables.

  • aeader on January 21, 2012

    Green beans are a good sub for the asparagus. Salad does not keep well - plan to eat it the day it's made. There will be extra dressing left in the bowl - can remove 1/4 to 1/3 cup in advance to use as a meat marinade or sauce.

  • KristenS on May 10, 2021

    This was good. Definitely had enough dressing to use as a marinade on chicken legs.

• Corn-stuffed peppers with fresh mozzarella cheese

  • cookbookhabit on July 30, 2012

    One of my go-to summer recipes. I've used shredded mozzarella with good results, too.

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Very fresh summer taste, especially with the sauce. Went lighter on the cheese and it was still good.

• Artichoke, celery root, and potato gratin

  • meowingmyrtle on October 06, 2011

    Spectacular flavor. Incredibly labor intensive if you trim the artichokes yourself.

• Potato salad with green beans and hard-cooked eggs

  • HarlanH on July 29, 2011

    try with bacon!

• Black bean soup

  • HarlanH on July 29, 2011

    Calls for WAY too much water

  • emiliang on August 29, 2013

    A simple but flavorful version of bean soup. I used a 16 Bean Mix instead of black beans, and a bit of cognac in place of the Madeira. I also added some dried mushrooms, a bit of soy sauce, liquid smoke, and smoked paprika to approximate what a smoked ham hock might have added to the recipe.

• Lentil and caramelized onion croquettes

  • HarlanH on July 29, 2011

    Looks like it cooks fater than specified 5-8 minutes, but really takes that long. Serve with lemon wedges.

• Fennel and leek soup with fennel greens

  • eve_kloepper on July 16, 2013

    simple and delicious. I rounded out flavors with white miso.

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Spencer really likes this one for its simple but rich flavours, no need for the cream

  • Mumpkinator on February 10, 2014

    A perfect soup to heal whatever ails you! No need for cream. A squeeze of lemon and a dash of hot sauce does the trick!

• Fennel in lemon and white wine

  • eve_kloepper on November 11, 2011

    I undercooked this the first time. Crunchy really doesn't bring out the lovely mellow fennel flavor. So cook longer than the recipe calls for, until pieces can easily be pierced with a fork. also needs an additional drizzle of olive oil before serving.

• Celery root and potato gratin

  • michalow on January 03, 2013

    Flavors were good but this came out more liquidy than expected. I ended up pureeing the whole thing, which was very tasty, even though it was a roundabout way to get there.

• Moroccan stuffed tomatoes

  • michalow on January 03, 2013

    A variation on Tomatoes Provencal.

• Lasagne with eggplant and chard

  • michalow on January 03, 2013

    This recipe calls for white wine and an egg. She suggests two tomato sauces from the book, a fresh tomato sauce or an alternative using canned. (Note that only one of these calls for basil, so that should be considered an optional ingredient.)

• Roulade base

  • michalow on January 03, 2013

    Gruyere can be used instead of parmesan. Also includes 1.5 cups of milk.

• Sweet corn coffee cake with berries

  • michalow on January 03, 2013

    I thought this tasted more like a sweet cornbread than a coffeecake, but it was good.

• Apple galette with pine nuts and candied lemon

  • michalow on January 03, 2013

    Absolutely my favorite fall dessert. Subtly spiced and not too sweet, but with bursts of flavor from the pine nuts and candied lemon. A layer of finely chopped apples on the bottom gets melty and gooey, then sliced apples on top of that maintain some structure. The presentation is lovely.

• Lentil salad with roasted peppers and vegetable garnishes

  • michalow on January 03, 2013

    This recipe calls for lime-cumin vinaigrette: http://www.eatyourbooks.com/library/recipes/171295/lime-cumin-vinaigrette

  • planetClaire on January 04, 2015

    Big hit at the dinner table, mild but morish flavours (I added some couscous) & the garnishes a nice crunchy contrast, could probably have passed some extra vinaigrette.

• Lumache with broccoli and capers

  • Krisage on December 14, 2012

    This first time I prepared this recipe, I tried to shortcut by cooking the broccoli with the pasta, then adding the sauce. The dish turned out very mild, except for the last few bites, when you could gather up most of the sauce that had fallen to the bottom of the bowl. The next time, I followed the recipe as directed and cooked the broccoli first, mixing it well with the sauce, then combining it with the cooked pasta. The dish was much more flavorful this way because the sauce stuck in the nooks and crannies of the broccoli rather than all falling to the bottom.

  • Delys77 on May 27, 2012

    I went with the suggested alternate of orrechiete and this was quite good. Comes together quickly with minimal ingredients and effort. my only suggestion would be to add the juice of one lemon and I also sautéed the garlic in the oil before adding to the pasta. Great little dish!

• Winter vegetable stew with sunchokes

  • Krisage on February 07, 2014

    We quite like this dish. It has a savory, almost "meaty" flavor. Nice!

• Navy bean and pasta gratin with basil and ricotta

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    You used goat cheese instead of ricotta and the result was pretty good. The texture is a little flat though.

• Thai tofu and winter squash stew

  • Delys77 on September 07, 2012

    Pg 257. I quite liked this dish as it was flavourful and healthy. I pan fried the tofu as she suggests and it adds a bit of dimension to it. I also love the addition of the leeks and the heavy hand with the chiles. My only gripe is that she calls for 3 cups of water which I thought was weird so I went with 1 cup, and the result was just right. 3 cups would make a soup not a stew. Spencer wasn't a huge fan because it included several ingredients he isn't fond of (tofu, curry, and squash).

• A summer bean and vegetable soup with pesto

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Essentially the same as the Pistou from Les Halles with a few more vegetables. Both are very good

• Winter vegetable pot pie

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Pretty good. The herb bechamel was nice, and the frozen puff pastry was tasty and very easy to use. The vegetables were nice and hearty. You did use a large deep casserole dish which made for a poor balance between filling and crust. Also it was lacking in salt eventhough you used a good amount. The recipe is a good base but it might do better with heavier seasoning, more herbs, and maybe served in shallower individual dishes so that there is a bit more pastry to filling

• Eggplant stew with tomatoes, peppers, and chickpeas

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Not a winner. The flavour required a serious boost from some fleur de sel as it was flat. The texture, especially of the eggplant was not appetizing. Spencer seriously disliked.

• Parnsip soup with ginger and parsnip "croutons"

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    a little one note despite the ginger

• Bright green spinach and pea soup

  • Delys77 on March 07, 2012

    This is a very healthful recipe that yields good results. The peas and green onions give the soup a bright fresh flavour with the substantial spinach in the backdrop. I scored it 3.5 because it is good without being outstanding.

• Hot and spicy tapenade

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Excellent, go heavy on the lemon

• Vietnamese spring rolls

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Good but very difficult to wrap

• Pesto

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Delicious

  • Bloominanglophile on April 14, 2014

    (2000) Nice recipe for pesto.

• Bechamel sauce

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    This makes for a slightly more flavourful bechamel, quite nice really.

• Moroccan green sauce (Chermoula)

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Almost like a spicy salsa verde. Great little sauce.

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    Tasty, tastes like any chermoula.

• Tomato sauce with dried mushrooms

  • Delys77 on December 02, 2011

    Make sure you dice the mushrooms quite finely as the texture an be a bit unpleasant. Overall this is a very flavourful sauce that will go with anything from meatballs to pasta.

• Red pepper sauce

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Good but go easy on the vinegar

• Cool rice and cucumber salad

  • Delys77 on September 05, 2012

    I quite like grain based salads, and this one definitely captures the toothsome and wholesome elements that these types of salads seem to embody. The choice of herbs is very nice, and the addition of the yogurt provides a nice texture and a certain richness. I do think that as written there is a bit too much acidity/tang as you are getting it from both the yogurt and the vinegar. I would suggest cutting back the vinegar just a bit. I also added some left over feta to the recipe and it proviced a nice texture contrast and contributed to the flavour.

• Ziti with sharp cheddar and mushrooms

  • Delys77 on October 12, 2011

    Slightly different take on Mac and cheese due to the mustard and the veggies in the béchamel. Quite tasty and comes together pretty easily. Had some left over ham so tossed it into the noodles before putting it into the oven.

• Mushroom lasagne

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Not very complicated once the bechamel is made, and quite tasty. The mushroom flavour is great, and the portabello give a nice meaty flavour

• Linguine with asparagus, lemon, and spring herbs

  • Delys77 on August 31, 2012

    Not bad, but nothing special really. For me this would pair more naturally with a short pasta (fusili, penne etc..) as I always find that very chunky "sauces" such as these simply sink to the bottom in tossed pasta. I found the flavour improved overnight, especially with a squirt of lemon juice.

• Sauteed spinach with garlic and red pepper

  • Delys77 on October 14, 2011

    This is pretty good. I quickly wilted it in a pot instead of blanching. The lemon definitely brings it up to a nicer level.

• Eggplant and summer vegetable gratin

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Perhaps there was not enough tomato but it was dry and the breadcrumbs did not do much for it.

• Potato and leek gratin

  • Delys77 on September 26, 2012

    I made only two slight modifications to this dish and it turned out delicious. I added a bit of panko to the top as we always like our gratin with a slight crunch, and I also very lightly salted between the layers. I was careful because the recipe doesn't call for any additional salt between layers, likely due to the fact that there is some salt in the milk broth as well as in the cheese, but I thought it might need a tiny bit more since potatoes tend to drink up the salt. Overall the result was a lovely dish with hints of garlic and leek and the richness of the milk and the potatoes. I boiled the potatoes in the milk for 20-25 minutes and that was just right. The only challenge was that there was still a little too much milk in the pan when I was done baking. I tilted it and drained off a good portion of it before serving.

• Braised carrots

  • Delys77 on September 27, 2012

    A good simple side. There is a touch of sweetness but I think the recipe could do with a bit more thyme to up the flavour quotient a little.

• Roasted carrots with garlic and thyme

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Simple roasted carrots really, but the addition of the thyme and garlic was great.

• White bean and vegetable stew in red wine sauce

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Simply vile! Used the dry beans, and despite following the instructions the texture was mushy. Flavour wise there was the odd bright note from the butter and the wine but the beans and vegetables were otherwise flavourless.

• Grilled corn

  • Delys77 on August 06, 2013

    The suggestion is to soak the corn then wrap the husks around it and grill for about 20 minutes. It may have been my corn but the husks just didn't stay put. This meant the corn didn't steam as much as it should have and I was forced to fully husk it mid way through and grill attentively with lots of flipping to ensure an even doneness.

• Malaysian-inspired tofu curry

  • Delys77 on November 20, 2011

    This makes a very nice if a little tame sauce, but as per usual the tofu itself remains bland as it doesn't absorb the sauce. Marinating the tofu then baking it to crisp a bit might help.

  • Beckiemas on May 17, 2015

    I really liked this recipe - I followed the suggestion from Delys77 and baked the tofu. I followed the recipe including simmering the tofu in the sauce for 10 minutes, then baked the tofu at around 175 degrees C (fan) for approximately 25 minutes. I can see how this would have improved the meal. I also think it would be worth experimenting with omitting the curry powder and ground coriander - the flavour seemed really unique before adding these, then became a bit samey.

• Golden tofu

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Nice and crisp

• Sweet and sour tofu

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Very dependent on your tofu as I have made several times with vastly diferent results

• Risotto croquettes

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Excellent use of left overs. Make sure the rice is cold when you are forming your croquettes.

• Risotto with scallions, lemon, and basil

  • Delys77 on July 06, 2012

    Not bad as a side, but not interesting enough to stand as a vegetarian main course. I would also note that I think the cream should be replaced with butter, and that you should add some lemon juice and up the parmesan a bit as it was a tiny bit bland.

• Zucchini frittata with marjoram

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Not bad, you can put quite a bit less olive oil.

• Somen in broth with silken tofu and spinach

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    The kombu stock is a bit light so I added more heat and a bit more mirin. The broth does get absorbed by the noodles quite well.

• Rice and chickpea pilaf with pine nuts and currants

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Not very good at all. Strange textures and flavour, plus the cooking of the herbs makes them a little slimey

• Pinto bean soup

  • Sarit on August 12, 2012

    Substitutes for epazote: Savory; parsley

• Black bean-smoked chile dip

  • aeader on May 27, 2012

    This didn't work for me - it wasn't thick enough and the flavors just weren't there. It was on the bland side and the flavors that did come through just didn't seem to meld together. I have enjoyed most of the recipes I have made from this book, so this was a bit of a dissapointment. I cooked my own dried beans rather than using canned.

• Hash brown potatoes

  • greenrunner75 on August 02, 2020

    2020-08-01 I made this tonight with red potatoes, red onion, and vegetable oil because that's all I had on hand in my pantry. I also added a little bit of McCormick vegetable seasoning to give it a little more savory flavor. I definitely think parboiling the potatoes made it taste better and cook faster than frozen hash browns which are the normal way we make them.

• Pita with broiled eggplant

  • rchlnnmllr on May 25, 2013

    good with sliced cucumbers

• Irish soda bread with bran and oats

  • okmosa on March 15, 2021

    Added 3/4c soaked/drained/patted dry currants, tangerine zest and doubled the salt. ?? I really like the whole grain flavors but might replace the whole wheat next time with AP flour to see if it lightens up without losing the flavor.

• Carrot salad with parsley and mint

  • Bloominanglophile on August 21, 2013

    My bad--this is the recipe that I meant to review instead of the Carrot Salad with Parsley, Lovage and Mint from Deborah Madison's Local Flavors. As you can probably tell by the name, this is practically the same recipe--it just calls for a smaller amount of the herbs. This recipe also gives several variations on this theme.

• Tomato and avocado sandwich on toast

  • Bloominanglophile on April 14, 2014

    (1999) I tried this with the lemon vinaigrette and the cilantro salsa--makes a wonderful sandwich!

• Tartines with tomatoes and basil

  • Bloominanglophile on April 14, 2014

    (2000) A good, basic crostini recipe that depends on ripe, summer tomatoes for its success.

• Cilantro salsa

  • Bloominanglophile on April 14, 2014

    (1999) I really enjoyed this salsa!

• Oven-roasted tomato sauce

  • Bloominanglophile on April 14, 2014

    (2007) Easy recipe. Roasting the tomatoes concentrated their sugars and made for a nice sauce.

• Red wine tomato sauce

  • Bloominanglophile on April 14, 2014

    (2008) This takes a little while to cook, but it is an easy recipe. I have also made the variation with olives, which is quite nice.

• Macaroni smothered with onions and Gruyère

  • Bloominanglophile on February 01, 2013

    This is a hearty, but not rich pasta. Good for weeknight meals and leftovers heated up nicely. We got about 6 servings out of this instead of 4, when accompanied by salad. I would recommend increasing the amount of onions, gruyere and parsley--and be sure to use 4 BIG boiling potatoes to balance out the 1 lb. of macaroni.

  • sdcookbookclub on August 12, 2020

    Error in title: Should be Macaroni and potatoes smothered with Onions and Gruyere.

• Tender tomato tart

  • emptywheel on September 27, 2012

    Made this for a group event. It tasted great--very concentrated tomato flavor, tender crust. Lots of compliments, one person said the filling had consistency of mousse. That said it was somewhat fussy to make.

• Glazed carrots with mustard

  • mrsmadam on April 20, 2020

    These are so easy. SO especially liked them.

• Crisp topping

  • Yildiz100 on December 31, 2012

    was not fond of this crisp topping. thought it could be butterier, and maybe had too much flour as well.

  • pattyatbryce on January 20, 2019

    Burned more easily than my normal crisp topping. Nuts especially. Flavor good where not burned.

• Polenta cheddar croquettes

  • Yildiz100 on March 01, 2013

    Good, but did not go well with the suggested cherry tomato relish.

• Green lentil with wine-glazed vegetables

  • Yildiz100 on January 18, 2013

    This recipe is delicious, though the lentil cooking instructions are off. (They call for way too little water.) Instead, cook lentils to my taste, and make wine glazed veggies, then combine. Very good with double the ratio wine glazed veggies to lentils. Try making more elegant by using beluga lentils and serving half of the veggies on top instead of mixed into the dish. Garnish with croutons and spinach with garlic.

• Mushrooms with paprika and sour cream

  • Yildiz100 on January 18, 2013

    calls for too much liquid. Instead of measuring, add by sight to bring sauce to preferred thickness.

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    This is good, tastes like mushroom paprikash. We did the variation with tofu and it was filling and hearty. We didn't find that it had too much liquid.

• Wild rice and celery root gratin

  • Nimorrison on December 02, 2012

    This recipe did not have shallots listed as an ingredient.

• Walnut bread

  • LauraG on December 13, 2012

    Fine texture, easy to slice thin, great flavor. Makes great grilled cheese sandwiches. Directions omit adding the yeast, but you can figure it out.

• Cabbage gratin

  • LauraG on December 13, 2012

    Mushy and bland.

  • macfadden on November 09, 2016

    I agree with the other reviewer that it was pretty bland, and the texture did leave something to be desired, though it was not entirely unappetizing. Some cheese on top would probably improve the flavor, as would a heavier hand with the herbs. I give it it three out of five.

• Fennel with oil and lemon

  • LauraG on December 13, 2012

    Very flavorful and refreshing. An excellent choice for any meal that needs a little spark.

• Greens with potatoes

  • LauraG on December 13, 2012

    Boring.

• Kale with cannellini beans

  • LauraG on December 13, 2012

    Fast and easy, but we found it rather bland.

• Rice and eggs with pesto, pine nuts, and tomatoes

  • LauraG on December 13, 2012

    Surprisingly good.

• Kasha (buckwheat groats)

  • LauraG on December 13, 2012

    This recipe has several unindexed variations: kasha varnishkes, kasha with fried onions, kasha with toasted walnuts and scallions. I made the latter, using yellow onions instead of scallions--delicious.

• Chard torta with saffron and fennel seeds

  • PinchOfSalt on August 04, 2022

    This recipe is titled "Chard Tart with Saffron and Fennel Seeds" in my ebook edition. Madison, Deborah. The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (p. 438). Potter/TenSpeed/Harmony. Kindle Edition.

• Red lentil dal with aromatics

  • emiliang on December 21, 2012

    Use small can of coconut milk (5 oz?) for a less overpowering taste. May also be able to leave out the milk altogether. Will also need about half-a-stick of butter for the ghee. Accompany it with Deborah Madison's basmati rice recipe from the same cookbook.

• Braised collards

  • emiliang on January 18, 2013

    This is a delicious side dish but the preparation takes way too long. The indexers omitted to list the brown butter called for in the recipe, which alone takes about an hour to prepare. From beginning to end, the recipe will keep you with an eye on the stove for about two hours.

• Curried parsnips with yogurt and chutney

  • emusikant on March 21, 2014

    Savory and delicious, perfect end of Winter dish. Served with duck.

• Turnip soup with Gruyère croutons

  • shamby on August 04, 2013

    I wasn't sure what to do with turnips that arrived in my CSA share. This soup was a delicious discovery.

• Brussels sprouts with mustard butter and caraway

  • peaceoutdesign on May 12, 2014

    easy, good

• Corn with cumin, chile, and tomato

  • Rachaelsb on July 28, 2023

    Good but not as full flavored as hoped. Next time I will be bolder with Chile pepper. Good use for extra corn an tomato

• Coleslaw with buttermilk-horseradish dressing

  • Alro9 on April 29, 2014

    I made this with red cabbage as that is what I had. I also had to omit a few of the dressing ingredients but it was generally very good.

  • christineakiyoshi on December 22, 2020

    I veganized the dressing by using plain cashew yogurt and soy milk with a splash of apple cider vinegar to make the buttermilk. This was excellent!

• Corn chowder with new potatoes, golden peppers, and basil

  • macfadden on August 06, 2016

    This soup had good flavor from the herbs and a pleasant, fresh texture from the fresh corn. I would have liked it a bit creamier that it was. The creaminess is all from two cups of milk added at the end. Next time, I might make a bechamel sauce with the milk to give it a bit more body.

• Granola

  • macfadden on October 03, 2016

    No one complained, but I did not like this granola. The nutmeg flavor was too strong, and it was almost bitter. Maybe it needed more sweetness.

• Corn-rye muffins

  • macfadden on August 08, 2016

    Nothing went really wrong with these muffins, and they had a nice, light, moist texture, but flavor-wise I found them a bit uninspiring.

• Chard and onion omelet

  • ebehm on November 07, 2013

    Excellent - made many times with and without fresh herbs.

• Basic buttermilk muffins

  • Zosia on January 09, 2014

    Moist, tender muffin that's a great base for whatever you'd like to add. I've made chocolate chip and cranberry-walnut variations, both times using 1 part AP flour, 2 parts whole wheat pastry (total 300g), 110g brown sugar (~1/2 cup) and oil. They're a generous size at 12; baking time for 14 smaller muffins is 19 minutes.

• Multigrain waffles

  • Zosia on April 08, 2014

    We loved these! Light and crisp with great flavour. I used whole wheat pastry flour, wheat bran, cornmeal and rye flour only to make up the 2 cups (260g) but I'm sure any combination of whole grain flours would work well.

• Mashed potatoes with herbs and olive oil

  • Zosia on May 08, 2014

    This recipe was not a success. The garlic-herb-olive oil flavour was nice but the texture of the mash seemed oily even though I used a fraction of the olive oil recommended. It was also an unappealing shade of yellow. Perhaps milk would have been a better choice than the potato cooking water.

• Zucchini gratin with basil, olives and pine nuts

  • vhague on November 13, 2017

    This is excellent. I skipped the olives, and used goat cheese instead. Went very well with the thyme. Do not skip the sautéeing step. It not only gives the zucchini and onions a nice look, but it sweats out some of the liquid so you do not end up with a watery mess.

• Leek and potato soup

  • alisonkc on January 21, 2014

    This is a great recipe, I make it often in the summer. If I have any on hand, I will often stir in some sour cream for tang.

  • Lepa on September 16, 2017

    I have been making this for years but I always make the variation listed after the main recipe with watercress and creme fraiche. I add the watercress leaves raw and let them cook in the soup five minutes before finishing. I have no idea why DM suggests cooking them separately but I like to minimize the work/dirty dishes and also capture all the taste/nutrients.

• Basil puree

  • alisonkc on January 21, 2014

    I make this every year with the basil from my garden. It freezes beautifully! I have defrosted & thinned it out with a bit more oil to serve with baguettes; it's fantastic as a simple sauce on a pizza, and you can easily enough turn it into something more like a true pesto if you like.

• Potato soup with mustard greens

  • quaquacat on January 10, 2021

    I put in two bunches of mustard greens because I had them—too much—one is plenty. Don’t add the parsley from the main recipe because it conflicts with the mustard greens. I also wouldn’t add the red pepper flakes either—they detract from the greens also. Cheese is good though. Immersion blending is necessary. She says this is the most basic potato soup, which is true, and it’s tasty for all that—fresh bay leaves add a lot of flavor.

• Potato and chickpea stew with romesco sauce

  • planetClaire on December 31, 2014

    This could be my new favourite chick pea recipe.

  • Lepa on February 05, 2017

    This stew is stunning. It is the stew to make if you want to pull out a showstopping vegetarian main dish for guests. This is absolutely one of the best recipes in a book full of wonderful recipes.

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    We agree with the other comments; this is a delicious stew. Of course, everything with romesco is! Perfectly autumnal.

• Potato gnocchi

  • planetClaire on January 07, 2015

    This is my second attempt at gnocchi, the first was a disaster. This turned out much better, the instructions are very clear & possibly the eggless recipe is better - I've realised they're more like scones than pasta, treat 'em gentle. Next time will lift out of water, I mangled them a bit throwing the whole lot into a strainer.

• Garlic scape pesto or puree

  • MmeFleiss on June 29, 2017

    We loved the strong garlic flavor of this. It tasted really good on top of pizza with mozzarella and jamón Serrano.

  • jhallen on May 27, 2022

    Very good - strong flavor, but great!

  • Christinalego on June 04, 2020

    Fab. Easy and perfect. When choosing scapes, be careful to pick the pale green tender ones.

• Cauliflower, spinach, and potato sauté with coconut milk

  • Lepa on February 26, 2017

    I love this simple curry and have been making it for years. Everybody in my family is happy to see it make yet another appearance at the table. I leave the chilis out for the kids and add Sriracha at the table for adults who seek a bit of heat. We eat it with brown rice and wash it down with beer and it's a very satisfying supper.

  • pie4u on April 19, 2022

    I don't know why I never made this simple curry before, but was just what we wanted a cold wet spring day in Oregon. Easy to adjust using whatever vegetables you have on hand and for spice preferences. Served over saffron rice. Used one serrano, but would increase next time. This will definitely become part of our regular rotation.

• All-bean chili

  • Lepa on September 30, 2019

    I keep trying vegetarian chili recipes and this one is pretty good but I still don't think I've found the perfect recipe. It lacks a certain umami quality that I want chili to have. I didn't have chipotle so I used chipotle powder. Otherwise I followed the recipe.

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    This was an excellent vegetarian chili. We added roasted anaheim and red bell peppers and used 1.5 cans of tomatoes instead of fresh.

• Pear pancakes

  • Lepa on March 05, 2017

    These are fantastic. I rarely give a recipe five stars but this one deserves it. I grated two Bartlett pears into the batter and added 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom. I did not add cinnamon. The flavor- and texture- was incredible. We will be making these a lot!

  • billcranecos on December 16, 2022

    Good, and I'd double the amount of pear next time.

• Ann's cheese stollen

  • Lepa on November 25, 2018

    I have been curious about this recipe for years and finally had all of the ingredients on hand and decided to bake it for tomorrow's breakfasts. It's so lovely! It's not too sweet but has a mild, creamy citrus flavor from the zest and peel. I brushed melted butter on top and dusted it with a generous coating of powdered sugar. I didn't have a "large bread pan" so I made this in a regular loaf pan and made an additional mini loaf with the leftover dough. That one baked in forty minutes.

• Butterflies with chickpeas

  • Lepa on June 13, 2018

    This has been a family favorite for years. It is simple and good. Adding sufficient salt and parmesan at the end is key.

• Applesauce spice bread

  • Lepa on January 09, 2017

    I made this with cardamom (instead of cinnamon) and it was lovely. The middle was a bit uncooked at 50 minutes, even though the outside was burning so I'd suggest turning down the heat and adding 5 minutes at the end(?)

• Cranberry-nut bread

  • Lepa on January 18, 2017

    This was okay but none of us were crazy about it. The recipe lists 70 minutes as the baking time and I found this was much too long. Around 65 minutes I checked and the cake was pretty burnt/dried out. Even if I hadn't overcooked it, I'm not sure that we would have liked it. The flavors just weren't very compelling.

• Oat and brown sugar coffee cake

  • Lepa on April 22, 2018

    I have visitors for the weekend and was looking for something easy to serve for breakfast. This cake was easy to mix together, makes a large cake and feels healthy enough to serve for breakfast.

  • pattyatbryce on January 07, 2019

    Good, but probably wouldn't make again.

• Chickpea and roasted pepper salad

  • Lepa on July 01, 2019

    I made this simple salad to go with a Spanish potato soup. It seems like it will be a nice salad to keep in the refrigerator for easy lunches.

• Sesame vinaigrette with chili oil

  • kitchen_chick on May 09, 2017

    also calls for garlic, brown sugar, and a bit of optional cilantro

• Rio Zape beans with cumin and chile

  • fractal on May 31, 2021

    Easy if you have an instant pot and tasty as beans rice or in tacos

• Apple crisp

  • pattyatbryce on January 20, 2019

    Apple mixture was good. Work on crisp topping.

• Portobello mushrooms with pappardelle

  • aromo on January 18, 2019

    Very good and elegant.

• Pan-grilled king oyster mushrooms with toasted sesame and chives

  • christineakiyoshi on November 13, 2021

    This dish is fabulous! Will make again.

• Broccoli and roasted pepper salad with tomato vinaigrette

  • deboChicago on August 01, 2019

    This was good fresh but leftovers were not so great.

• Sweet and sour eggplant

  • deboChicago on July 30, 2019

    This was very delicious. Not difficult, very unusual flavor. Addictive.

• Spicy stir-fried tofu with coconut rice

  • ashallen on October 05, 2019

    Good tofu dish. I've since frequently made the coconut rice, which I particularly like, as a side dish for other meals. The rice is rich and delicious when made as specified in the recipe, but also works well when made in a lighter style by using light coconut milk or by substituting some water for some of the full-fat coconut milk. [Cross-post for Veg Cooking for Everyone/New Veg Cooking for Everyone/Serious Eats.]

• Baked tempeh or tofu with mustard-honey marinade

  • Christinalego on June 06, 2020

    Not that great. Try other recipes.

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    I liked this tempeh marinade, but the ones in Amy Chaplin's books are better.

• Artichoke, pepper, and chickpea tagine with olives and preserved lemons

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    This was absolutely perfect as a midsummer meal over some quinoa. We changed it a decent amount, using zucchini instead of artichokes, quinoa instead of couscous, and adding a bit of tomato paste and a handful of spinach at the end,

• Roasted red pepper soup with polenta croutons

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    I didn't make the croutons. Without, this is a nice, simple smooth soup. Nothing exciting, but has enough depth of flavor to stay better than average.

• Tempeh on rye

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    Solid, satisfying sandwich; tastes like a Reuben. I omitted the Swiss cheese and replaced with vegan mayonnaise for richness, keeping the sandwich vegan.

• Quick peanut sauce

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    This is an unexciting peanut sauce. There are better ones that are just as easy.

• Romesco sauce

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    This is my go-to romesco recipe. We omit the bread, and although it's a bit thinner, the flavor doesn't seem to suffer much. Delicious.

• Parsley-caper sauce

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    Good - served with white beans. Note that the recipe specifies either Champagne or white wine vinegar.

• Lemon vinaigrette

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    This is okay, but very oniony. Would recommend decreasing the shallot unless yours is absolutely miniscule.

• Buttermilk dressing with horseradish

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    This was very good on mixed root-vegetable fritters. I used the yogurt option.

• Yeasted waffles and pancakes

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    Nice, old-fashioned-tasting yeasted waffles. I used a mixture of almond flour and cornmeal along with the all-purpose and eliminated the sugar, as I topped the waffles with savory cooked beets and greens. Very good.

• Gruyère soufflé

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    Very good. This was my first souffle and it behaved itself, puffed up high and mighty. I added some Asiago in addition to the Gruyere and the combination was tasty.

• Oven-braised fennel with Parmesan

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    This was all right. I added saffron and it was still a little plain, plus it took much longer to cook than suggested, although that's probably on my individual fennel bulb, as I've found they vary greatly. Not sure I would repeat.

• Green beans simmered with tomato

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    Tasty, simple. We used basil instead of the suggested herbs.

• Chayote and corn enchiladas

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    I only made the filling from these and it was good. Some black beans might have been nice to add some more protein and substance.

• Roasted beets, apples, and onions with cider vinegar

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    Very nice. Ate alongside a potato pancake on a particularly icy day.

• Galette dough

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    A basic galette dough, made a nice, flakey base for my strawberry galette. I subbed out some of the pastry flour for whole wheat pastry flour, as I tend to prefer the "darker" taste of whole wheat flours.

• Crispy roasted chickpeas with spice and smoke

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    Instructions are good, which with a "recipe" like this is really all you can ask. Tasty, made a good lunchbox snack.

• Celery salad with Asian pears

  • jenburkholder on December 26, 2020

    Quite tasty. Subbed radicchio for endive (which was inexplicably nowhere to find), pecans for walnuts, and feta for blue cheese. Bitter, nutty, and refreshing.

• Cannellini beans and Savoy cabbage with cumin

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    Good, cozy food for eating alone in winter. Cut the cabbage smaller, the chunks she suggests are quite unwieldy.

• Fried-only-once refried beans

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    Solid refried beans, taste just like they ought to (unless you want them to taste pork-y, in which case you'll be disappointed).

• Beans with juniper

  • jenburkholder on August 12, 2020

    We used pintos instead of Anasazi beans. These were lovely for being so simple; the juniper was unexpected but blended well with the flavor of the beans.

• White bean, escarole and tomato braise

  • FigsandOkra on September 20, 2021

    Simple, easy to make, hearty

• New potato gratin with tomatoes and olives

  • anniecc on September 10, 2023

    The whole family adored this recipe, and it was a great use of garden tomatoes and new potatoes. I especially liked the unexpected flavour notes from the sliced lemon and fennel seeds. I added a little crumbled feta in the last 15 minutes of cooking and sprinkled fresh basil over the top when serving, both were great additions. It’s not a quick recipe to prepare, but could easily be prepared ahead of time.

• Cauliflower gratin with smoked cheddar and caraway

  • saccharomyces on May 08, 2023

    Simple and good but not mind blowing. As a main dish feels a little less than complete

• Olive paste

  • djnielsen64 on April 01, 2023

    I’m not a huge olive fan, but this was pretty good along with some other things to dip pita into. I used Trader Joe’s Grilled Pitted Chalkidiki Green Onions in Oil. It came out pretty salty.

• Food52

  With over 1,000 recipes for dishes as simple as polenta, and more elegant fare like goat cheese flan and cashew curry...

  Full review

• Way to Garden

  Interview with author Deborah Madison.

  Full review

• Wall Street Journal by Michael Ruhlman

  Our cooking world, our country's home kitchens, need exactly [here] - a heavily plant-reliant, diverse diet of food we cook ourselves—and she arrives with it seemingly in the nick of time. Again.

  Full review