Notes about Recipes in this book

• Penne with green and gold zucchini and ricotta

  • Cheri on July 16, 2011

    This dish was too dry. I would not make this again.

• Zucchini and cilantro soup with chile and mint

  • Laura on July 28, 2015

    Pg. 145. As someone who's not a real fan of zucchini, this was a perfect way to include them in our diet without actually having to taste them. The soup is really flavorful and is a lovely light green color. I didn't feel that it needed the sour cream or the tortilla chips that Madison suggested as toppings. I served it warm, but it was also delicious chilled. I added the juice of two limes (they were small) and the soup had a nice tang and brightness, without being too sour.

  • TrishaCP on April 07, 2013

    A delicious Mexican-inspired summer soup that gives you another way to use zucchini. It requires lots of seasoning at the end (acid from at least one whole lime and salt) to get the brightness you would expect from all of the cilantro (which really mellowed during cooking) and the other herbs.

• Cucumber salad with chile and roasted peanuts

  • Laura on January 24, 2011

    Pg. 147. This was delightful and refreshing -- perfect as an accompaniment to asian-flavored meats. I especially liked the unique method of cutting the cucumber -- essentially peeling it into long, thin strips -- very attractive presentation, much more interesting than the usual sliced round discs. This is going into my Favorites list!

  • Emily Hope on November 19, 2010

    Super tasty, esp. when made with japanese cukes, and so simple.

  • TrishaCP on April 07, 2013

    I had no peanuts or toasted peanut oil, so I used sunflower seeds and toasted walnut oil instead since that is what I had on hand. They did the trick to add nuttiness to this Asian-inspired salad. I really like the technique of peeling thin slices of cucumber with a vegetable peeler, because it really enables the cucumber to soak up any dressing. In this case, the recipe calls for the juice of two limes in the dressing. I would add the juice of one lime and then add more to taste with the other dressing ingredients.

  • carlenedrake on August 09, 2014

    I love this salad. I just used canola oil because I didn't have any roasted peanut oil and it was great. As Laura said delightful and refreshing is a great description.

• Brussels sprouts with cauliflower and mustard-caper butter

  • Laura on November 13, 2012

    Pg. 90. I was shocked that we did not love this dish, since we love all of the ingredients in the butter sauce. But the butter sauce just did not come through. The caper and lemon flavors were not prominent at all. We cooked only cauliflower and broccoli, no brussels sprouts.

• Parsnip galette with greens

  • Laura on January 16, 2019

    Pg. 210. While my husband liked this, I did not like it at all. It was a lot of work and the result was very disappointing. I felt it was way too salty and the flavors of the ingredients did not really come through. It was also really unattractive, so not in any way appealing. I guess it goes without saying, I won't be making this again!

• Melon salad with Thai basil

  • Laura on May 15, 2012

    Pg. 161. The success of this salad is heavily dependent on the quality of the melon. I used a cantalope and by itself it was not that flavorful. I was hoping the salsa of thai basil, cilantro and mint would mask that, but it fell short. In addition, the watercress and arugula at my market did not look that great, so I just used a blend of baby lettuces. I think it would have been far better with the peppery addition of the watercress or arugula. I may try this again with a better assortment of melons and the proper greens, as I think the potential is there for this to be a very good and refreshing dish on a hot day.

• Chilled Sun Gold soup

  • Laura on July 16, 2012

    Pg. 179. This was a perfect summer dish...and absolutely delicious! It was very easy and quick to make. My only regret: I only bought one pint of sungolds at the farmers market, so we had a very small quantity of the soup to split between the two of us. (Won't make that mistake again!) Deborah Madison says in the intro to the recipe: "You needn't serve more than a taste of this sweet-tart soup...." Well, I disagree -- I could eat a gallon of it!

  • Emily Hope on November 18, 2010

    Amazing and so simple. This is my go-to showstopper dinner party starter during the summer, served in small chilled bowls. We usually double the recipe.

  • TrishaCP on July 15, 2018

    My CSA grew sun gold tomatoes this year, so I finally was able to make this soup. Wow- it is phenomenal. I used a cava vinegar and a splash of sherry vinegar, but I might use a bit more of the sherry vinegar next time. I went with the optional Serrano chile too, and I liked the kick it brought.

  • smccandless on July 14, 2013

    Agree with all of the above. This is a beautiful soup. Elegant enough for a dinner party but simple enough to serve anytime there is an abundance of ripe tomatoes....Do not need sun golds...just a really good tomato. I made the last batch with roasted reds that I canned last summer and all thought it was divine. (pg 179)

• Summer posole with cilantro salsa

  • PennyG on August 10, 2015

    Delicious! Definitely worth making from dried posole, rather than using canned.

• Sauteed gypsy peppers

  • PennyG on June 28, 2015

    I got some gypsy peppers in my CSA box and found this recipe through an EYB search. It was very nice. We ate it as a side dish alongside some grilled local quail. I think it would also be nice served with grilled sausages in a bun!

• Leek, scallion, and fennel gratin

  • KarenS on April 02, 2013

    Absolutely delicious. I didn't have any parmesan, so I left it out, and it was still delicious.

• Scallion crêpes with stir-fried greens

  • britt on September 20, 2010

    This is an awesome idea, and the crepes themselves are tasty, but the filling is bland. My apartment's electric stove is incapable of creating wok hei, which may explain the blandness, but ...

  • Bloominanglophile on November 09, 2013

    (2004) I had access to pea greens back then and decided to try these. I wrote down that I thought they were quite good.

• Redbor kale with red beans, cilantro, and feta cheese

  • britt on March 24, 2011

    We really enjoyed this, but this is not an elegant, for company, dish. It was a tasty heap of greens and beans. Homey and healthy.

• Winter squash risotto with seared radicchio

  • britt on December 02, 2010

    This recipe does not call for Armagnac; it does call for 1.5 cups Arborio rice, a yellow onion, butter, olive oil, and 6 cups stock.

• Peach shortcake on ginger biscuits

  • britt on September 16, 2010

    I prefer the whipped cream sweetened. I add 4-6 tsp powedered, or slightly less granulated, sugar.

• Carrot salad with parsley, lovage, and mint

  • okcook on May 10, 2015

    I really love this salad. Have made it a couple of times. My guests raved over it also. I too have a big old lovage plant so it is nice to use the delicious leaves. This is a really bright salad and the lemon zest/juice is perfect. This is now one of my go to salads for the summer.

  • TrishaCP on April 26, 2016

    This was a bright tasting salad, but i thought the lovage/parsley blend was a bit strong in the herbal taste for me.

  • Bloominanglophile on August 21, 2013

    This recipe actually gives the option of parsley or lovage. I have been trying to find ways to utilize a lovage plant that I inherited with our garden, so I chose this quick and easy recipe--just the right thing to fill out a meal of leftovers. It reminds me of the grated salads we were served at restaurants while living in Germany. I think the French name for it is "Assiette de Crudité". Regardless, it was a nice, fresh tasting salad with herbal undertones from the lovage and mint I used. Oh, and I used the lemon juice option as well.

• Oven-roasted treviso chicory

  • lorloff on November 23, 2021

    I found some green Treviso radicchio/chicory at a farmer’s market and although my husband has not liked radicchio in the past I decided to try it. Madison’s recommendation to taste it raw and decide if it needed to be tamed by blanching was a good idea. Mine was not sufficiently bitter. Also allowing water to cling to the leaves helped the cooking but still allowed for charred leaves. I used shallots salt, white pepper and garlic oil for the salt, pepper and olive oil and it came out perfectly tasty, mellowed and delicious, my husband and I both loved it. Will make again.

• Elixer of fresh peas

  • lorloff on July 03, 2017

    Great recipie tastes like a bowl of summer. I used new fresh onions instead of the scallions because we did not have scallions in the house and added fresh basil chifonade at the end before serving the sprinkled the best olive oil we could get our hands on to garnish. Two green thumbs up.

  • kjwright on April 24, 2012

    Crazy tasty recipe - the end result is a beautiful, light fresh pea soup. The empty pea shells are used in the stock base, resulting in a bright pea flavor.

• Spaghetti squash gratin with chanterelles

  • Kjohns101 on November 09, 2022

    This is tasty. I’ve made it with white mushrooms instead of chanterelles. Probably a bit fancier with the chanterelles but still good. I’m cooking spaghetti squash more often using my Instapot. It’s easy. Then I use the cooked squash to make this dish.

  • TrishaCP on April 07, 2013

    A rich, savory, comforting gratin that's a nice twist on a standard potato gratin. I would tweak next time by adding another clove of garlic, and a pinch of nutmeg.

  • triangleofpeace on January 04, 2023

    This recipe is on page 154.

• Collards with potatoes

  • Avocet on December 01, 2022

    Very good. Made with kale instead of collards and also used the bacon.

• Taste of spring: young root vegetable braise

  • Christine on May 14, 2016

    I must admit, I wasn't thrilled to find both turnips and radishes in the first week of the farm box we signed up for. I never pick them up voluntarily and anytime I got them in a CSA box in the past, I gave them away or they withered in the fridge. But leave it to Deborah Madison (and butter and lemon!) to change my mind about these formerly neglected vegetables. I am not the quickest prep cook, so this recipe was rather time consuming, but the results really were worth it. I made this mostly as directed, but did make the suggested substitution of spring onions/scallions in place of leeks, and I didn't have any fava beans. I used a bit extra butter when it is first called for as it didn't seem like quite enough. This was very delicious and I think I will have to check out other braising recipes for turnips and/or radishes in the future.

  • Nancith on April 27, 2023

    Wasn't sure how this would turn out because I did not have young root veggies, just normal turnips cut into wedges, big carrots cut into sticks, and full-sized leeks. I actually substituted a huge thinly sliced daikon radish for regular radishes because it needed to be used up, & since there were no favas to be found, used frozen limas instead. The dish actually turned out beautifully with tender veggies, & all bitterness & sharpness removed from the radish & turnips. As a previous reviewer did, I added a little more butter at the end. For being so simple it is a deceptively luscious dish.

  • Agaillard on May 15, 2016

    Hi Christine! Sorry not sure how to respond to this without adding a note :-) I too ran into a recipe calling from braised after some issues with past date radishes - forum links here : http://www.eatyourbooks.com/forum?g=posts&t=1119 I would love to have some new ideas to use them! I have tried it and the omelette with the link in the article is quite nice too :)

• Salt potatoes with butter and herbs

  • Emily Hope on June 02, 2011

    A delicious way to eat the first new potatoes of the season. Despite the amount of salt in the water, the potatoes weren't too salty. I cut back on the butter (a bit), and just used pepper as I didn't have herbs on hand. Great plain this way, but I imagine they would also be great with the herbs added.

• Asparagus and wild mushroom bread pudding

  • Emily Hope on April 08, 2013

    This was a great vegetarian main dish for company--easy to put together, savory, and substantial without feeling super-heavy. I sauteed some leeks and green garlic and used in place of the mushrooms, since that's what I had on hand, and subbed in a half-cup of heavy cream and a half-cup of creme fraiche for one cup of the milk to give it a bit more oomph. Not everyday fare, but a nice early-spring treat. Served with sauteed sugar snap peas with mint, a salad of greens, shaved fennel, apple, parmesan, and pistachios, and an almond cake for dessert.

• Whole wheat spaghetti with late-summer onions

  • TrishaCP on April 07, 2013

    I ultimately liked this recipe, but only after I played around with it. Essentially, the recipe is no more than the title- whole wheat spaghetti with onions. Even with the 1 1/2 hour cooking time from the recipe, my onions didn't caramelize (and I didn't get the sense that they were supposed to either), so I ended up cooking them 45 minutes past the recommended time, and threw in some mushrooms for a bit more savoriness and color. This is a recipe that just does not work without generous sprinklings of grated parmesan and parsley at the end- if I made it again I might add a bit of lemon zest as well.

• Priest stranglers (strozzapreti) with black kale, sage, and potatoes

  • TrishaCP on April 07, 2013

    I liked this, but...1). The water used to boil the kale and potatoes (which also becomes the pasta water) needs to be seasoned really aggressively with salt, otherwise the kale and potatoes taste flat. 2). The potatoes (which were cooking with the kale), needed about double the time called for in the recipe to become tender. 3). I like strong flavors, and I didn't get much of one from the sage and garlic butter. If I used the butter again, I would probably also cut up the sage leaves to better disperse them through the final dish. But I'm thinking a sage oil may be better. 4). If making this as a side dish, the butter and cheeses seemed unnecessary gilding of the lily. 5). Don't even think about making this without whole wheat pasta- regular pasta would not stand up to the kale here and would be pretty insipid.

• Corn and squash simmered in coconut milk with Thai basil

  • TrishaCP on July 31, 2018

    This was very satisfying and as Zorra states, not at all bland. A perfect meal for the rainy weather we have been having. I subbed a jalapeno chile with seeds for the serrano and I was happy with the amount of heat it brought. I also used zucchini and opal basil.

  • zorra on August 27, 2014

    Flavorful use of seasonal bounty. Could appear bland (based on squash, corn & tofu) but is decidedly not. I like yellow squash in it, with red hot pepper for color, & fish sauce instead of soy. A summer favorite.

• A rough and ready turnip potage

  • TrishaCP on April 07, 2013

    This was a twist on a basic leek and potato soup- by adding turnips, the soup becomes really earthy. I did use stock instead of water- I think it needs the added flavor, and I also used sage in addition to thyme. I pureed about half of the soup, so it still maintained some nice rustic chunks of vegetables- with the pureeing I didn't need to add the cream.

  • clouse91 on December 12, 2013

    I used chicken stock instead of water, cooked it down, and roughly mashed the veggies with a potato masher. Then I added chopped kale and some cooked sweet italian sausage and simmered until kale was cooked. Add water or stock to adjust consistency.

• Zephyr zucchini with opal basil, pine nuts, and Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese

  • TrishaCP on July 15, 2018

    Delicious and easy side dish. I didn't have zephyr zucchini, so used a regular medium to large zucchini. Since we were grilling anyway, I didn't follow the instructions for cooking the squash- instead I sliced it, added a bit of olive oil, and grilled it. Once grilled, I added the cheese, pine nuts, and opal basil. Still beautiful and very tasty.

• Black raspberry and rose geranium sherbet

  • TrishaCP on July 11, 2018

    Raspberries and rose geranium are heavenly together, and this is a nice example of that flavor combination. I did think the texture of the sherbet was best the day made however-it got icier over time. I had and used black raspberries, and they resulted in a beautiful purple sherbet.

• Baked pancake with pear and cardamom

  • TrishaCP on April 07, 2013

    I thought this was wonderful. The pancake puffs then settles, leaving an eggy, custardy type texture, which goes well with the pear/cardamom mixture.

• Carrot top soup

  • TrishaCP on April 07, 2013

    A light soup studded with rice, carrots and carrot tops. I used dill as my herb of choice and it works really well with the flavors of the carrots. I didn't have leeks, so I used 4 scallions (whites and some greens) instead. A perfect recipe when you get beautiful carrots with gorgeous fresh carrot tops.

  • eliza on January 15, 2016

    Nice light soup, adaptable recipe, and a good way to use tops of my home grown carrots.

  • Bloominanglophile on October 21, 2013

    I have prepared this soup maybe 4 or 5 times--and really enjoy it each time I have made it. I usually use chicken stock and parsley, but used vegetable stock and some lovage from my garden this time around. I also dice my carrots and leeks about the same size, which takes a little bit of time. To me, this is a filling and nourishing soup--a great recipe for those interested in eating "nose to tail" vegetarian-wise.

• White beans with black kale and Savoy cabbage

  • zorra on August 27, 2014

    Didn't expect this dish to taste so dull. Needs more garlic, perhaps some oregano or ground fennel. Try adding some acid next time?

• Sunchoke bisque with hazelnut oil

  • juliejean1 on December 28, 2011

    Rich and filling soup. I substituted olive oil for the sunflower and hazelnut oils, and yellow potatoes for the red. I didn't need to thin it at all.

• Pasta with golden fennel

  • eliza on November 06, 2017

    Made this using some fennel from the garden. It was an easy dish to make, however the long cooking time diminished the taste of the fennel substantially. I probably won't make this one again.

• June platter salad of green beans, potatoes, tuna

  • smccandless on September 03, 2022

    Made for Labor Day without the tuna. Followed balance of recipe exactly. Add tomatoes and possibly cucumber and or beets next time. Use Yukon or fingerlings next time. My small new potatoes from Farmer market were a bit starchy. Added sliced radish. Nice presentation. Okay flavor. Needed a little x salt and all of the dressing.

• Cinderella pumpkin soup baked in the pumpkin

  • twoyolks on November 11, 2014

    This soup is very pumpkiny without the extra sweetness that comes from a butternut squash soup. I used a smaller pumpkin which required a lot less liquid. I used heavy cream but the soup was very rich so I'd use half-and-half or milk in the future. My pumpkin did collapse so I just pureed the soup and served it in bowls.

• Watermelon agua fresca

  • twoyolks on July 17, 2018

    Really bland and not very good.

• Spring risotto with sorrel

  • twoyolks on May 18, 2024

    This was really good in a somewhat surprising way. The sorrel flavor is prominent but not overpowering. I will say that the color of the risotto is awful but that doesn't impact the taste.

• Succotash

  • twoyolks on September 28, 2016

    This is a nice and simple succotash that lets the flavor of the corn and lima beans shine through.

• Braised broccoli with olives

  • Bloominanglophile on November 09, 2013

    (2005) Good dish. Since I had the Marjoram Pesto with Capers and Olives (p. 65) on hand, I used it in place of the marjoram, garlic, and olives in the recipe. More garlic may be desired, however.

• Radish butter for radish sandwiches

  • Bloominanglophile on November 09, 2013

    (2005) I made these with the French Breakfast radishes. A great, simple canapé. My husband said he would like to see a greater amount of radish in the spread.

• Marjoram pesto with capers and olives

  • Bloominanglophile on July 17, 2013

    This really is a useful pesto to have on hand. It is an integral part of the Beets and Their Greens with Marjoram and Pine Nuts, but I have mixed it with diced chicken and mayo for a different chicken salad sandwich. I also love it as part of a fried zucchini sandwich (you can find the recipe in Lydia Bastianich's "Lidia's Family Table").

• Oyster mushrooms with cumin

  • Bloominanglophile on November 09, 2013

    Note from 2003: Yum!

• Beets and their greens with marjoram and pine nuts

  • Bloominanglophile on July 10, 2013

    For those who are on the fence on beets, I do recommend this recipe. My husband, who LOATHES them, will eat this dish (somewhat begrudgingly)! The marjoram pesto seems to take more time than the beet preparation, which I made quicker by roasting them in the oven at 400F wrapped in foil. The pesto really complements the earthy flavor of the beets, and serving them with the greens makes it feel like a virtuous dish. I served a simple pasta alongside, as this was the star of the show.

• Giant popover with chanterelles

  • Bloominanglophile on November 09, 2013

    (2006), I remember finding little wooden crates of chanterelles at the REAL superstore in Germany. What to do with them!?! This recipe sounded lovely, and I hoped that the preparation wouldn't mask the delicate taste of the chanterelles. Well, the mushroom sauté was nice, but the popover recipe didn't work for me. I was, however, trying to get used to a German kitchen with it's tiny, fickle oven! It may have been the problem, rather than the recipe.

• A big tomato sandwich

  • idlirava on August 19, 2012

    My favorite summer sandwich all dressed up for company! Lots of options for cheese (smoked mozzarella) and for composition (slivered sweet onion instead of peppers). Best to keep the dressing thick (more herbs, maybe less oil) to prevent disintegration & shirt-decoration. Delicious with a store-bought boule, better with homemade bread like Portuguese broa.

• Fava bean, herb, and wax bean soup with fried pita bread

  • debnharold on September 16, 2012

    make sure to peel the skin off each individual fava beans before adding them to the soup.

• Apple-oat pancakes with cheddar cheese

  • carlenedrake on October 05, 2013

    Half the recipe was just right for two people.

• Celery root and wild rice chowder

  • Nancith on November 12, 2014

    Really tasty soup, creamy & filling. DIdn't have plain wild rice, so substituted a rice blend that included wild rice. Definitely on my favorites list.

  • wkhull on November 13, 2022

    At the onset I thought recipe called for too little wild rice, but I was surprised at how much the wild rice expands. I used the rice cooking water and a little chicken stock. I did add some frozen corn. And I used half-and-half, but I do think the dish would be just fine with milk. The dish was a little lacking for color, so I think I'll add carrots next time.

• Savoy cabbage and fennel with parsley-lemon butter

  • Nancith on March 09, 2015

    A really nice, mellow dish. Had to use a regular lemon rather than a Meyer, & butter substitute, but it was still tasty. Did serve it with egg noodles as D. Madison suggests.

• Fennel and winter greens salad with mushrooms and truffle oil

  • Nancith on February 13, 2014

    Unfortunately, could not get radicchio, and did not have mushrooms, plus substituted pumpkin seed oil for truffle oil. Still a nice change from the usual salad. Also added a wee bit of sugar to the vinaigrette since it was very tart for my taste.

• Chard and cilantro soup with noodle nests

  • Rinshin on May 05, 2014

    Loved the noodle nests....what a terrific idea! So simple to make, yet it adds the ooomph and ooohhh to any soup. I'm certainly going to be borrowing this with other soups. These are great nibbles too. I used bokchoy instead of chard for the soup. Made modified vegetable soup using the recipe but also added leftover steak bones I had on hand. Fantastic all-around soup! I liked the addition of cilantro in the soup as well as in the noodle nests with cheese.

• The ultimate root soup, borscht

  • springandfall on September 10, 2017

    Often, a hot (versus cold) vegetarian borscht seems to me to be missing a dimension: I keep looking for the meat, or at least the savor of meat from, say, beef broth. But this hot vegetarian borscht uses porcini mushrooms for umami and turns the trimmings of its many vegetables into a vegetable-stock base, making it full-flavored. A winner.

• Summer squash and squash blossom risotto

  • br22 on September 17, 2017

    This both tasted and looked beautiful. I couldn't find fresh marjoram; adjusted quantity of dried worked fine.

• Egg salad with herbs through the seasons

  • LittleTex on October 03, 2022

    Tarragon makes a great substitute for chervil - easier to find

• Harriet's hot roasted cauliflower

  • rionafaith on August 22, 2017

    p. 88 -- Basic roasted cauliflower.

• Pasta with radicchio, white beans, and rosemary

  • Shelmar on September 06, 2019

    For grown-up tastes, too bitter for teenagers.