Notes about Recipes in this book

• Crispy chickpeas

  • Ecngreg5 on January 23, 2026

    These were quite tasty, though a little oily. I think maybe I should have drained the oil after baking instead of leaving them in the oil, but otherwise, very nice and crispy with a bit of heat from the crushed pepper.

• Garlic bread crumbs

  • christina267621 on May 31, 2026

    Made with the perfect salad (pg 238). Used fresh herb infused olive oil and gluten free Italian bread crumbs. Delicious.

• Basil oil

  • rmardel on August 16, 2024

    Excellent basil flavor. I used somewhat less oil so it is more of a loose puree. Freezes well. Will repeat.

• Ranch dressing

  • jenburkholder on January 08, 2024

    Very tasty. The flavor profile seems more a cross between Ranch and Green Goddess (both of which I like) so I really enjoyed this.

• Brown sugar-vinegar sauce

  • MarielRose on April 30, 2026

    Really good with Brussel sprouts. Added some bourbon ??

  • GloriaG on May 12, 2026

    Very tasty! Perfect for the seared duck recipe but can see a number of other ways to use this tasty sauce.

• Anchovy-caper butter

  • pattyatbryce on February 15, 2025

    Make this to make the garlic and spinach pasta. You won't regret it.

• Asparagus stalks with yogurt + shaved radishes

  • SheilaS on March 23, 2023

    This one really surprised me. I like the pan-roasting method, although I needed to use another pan to keep the asparagus in contact with the pan to ensure nice browning. The toppings of plain yogurt taste great with the asparagus and make the plate look very pretty.

• Asparagus with pickled beets + feta

  • SheilaS on April 02, 2023

    I made this with some lovely fresh spring asparagus and felt the pickled beets and feta kind of overpowered the asparagus. Might be just what's needed to perk up some older grocery asparagus though.

• Salad of asparagus, arugula, egg, and radish with mustard vinaigrette

  • SheilaS on March 24, 2023

    A great salad to make with the first asparagus of the spring

• Beets with smoked whitefish, sour cream, and dill

  • SheilaS on July 07, 2023

    I took this in a bit of a different direction, putting everything on a pile of greens. Trader Joe's smoked trout instead of smoked whitefish and some leftover sauce (garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice and mayo) from another book instead of the sour cream. Excellent!

• Beets with orange pinwheels, pecans + feta

  • SheilaS on July 01, 2023

    Nice idea for a very simple beet salad. I dressed some arugula with a bit of citrus vinaigrette and put the beets, orange and pecans on top.

• Beets with apples, cheddar + walnuts

  • SheilaS on July 08, 2023

    I put this on top of greens that I dressed with a grainy Dijon vinaigrette and made the cheddar cheese into crispy frico which made for a delicious salad

  • Lalushca on November 07, 2025

    Thanks for the reccomendation @sheilaS - I made a salad of spinach and greens, added thin carrot slivers, and made a Parmesan frico. Thanks for the suggestion!

• Risotto with apples, squash + Parmesan

  • shelbstirr on November 10, 2025

    Very yummy! This was a suggested alternative so I had to make up some bits, I added a half cup shredded parm to the risotto along with the beet puree, and some roasted butternut squash. Swerved with chicken apple sausage. Split into 6 servings next time.

• Crudité salad with ranch dressing

  • Christinalego on June 02, 2020

    This is a great, easy recipe for buttermilk dressing, or ‘ranch.’

• Broccoli with melty cheese and chili oil

  • Bessp on April 17, 2026

    This was a simple winner. I topped with aged gouda, it was delicious. I served with roasted pork tenderloin and maple mustard sauce. It's not so much a recipe, but definitely worth making.

  • lkgrover on April 22, 2026

    Good broccoli side dish; can cook in the oven while preparing other food.

• Broccoli with wheat berries, blue cheese + dried cranberries

  • claire_txa051 on April 25, 2026

    YUM. Super simple and yummy, served with Polish sausage for a complete meal.

• Shaved cabbage salad with apples, ham + mustard vinaigrette

  • shelbstirr on November 13, 2025

    Really good! Quick to make. I had a ham steak, and I crisped it in a pan and let it cool before I chopped it up and added it to the vegetables. I also halved the oil in the dressing recipe.

• Shaved cabbage salad with lemon vinaigrette, parsley, dukkah + ricotta

  • djnielsen64 on February 11, 2024

    Good use of cabbage. Never made (or had) dukkah before and it’s yummy!

• Seared duck breast with brown sugar-vinegar cabbage, roasted potatoes, and herb salad

  • CheesyKranskyLove on October 03, 2022

    One of my favourite recipe from this book

  • Gingko on February 24, 2026

    We made this with steelhead trout not duck because that’s what we had. Very tasty!

  • GloriaG on May 12, 2026

    Absolutely delicious! Followed recipe exactly! Timing on the duck breast was perfect, searing to a medium rare temperature. Roasting potatoes to a golden brown before tossing with the red cabbage worked out nicely. Did not add the chives & rosemary as didn’t want to over power the flavors. Glad I left them out. Would make this again. Just wish searing duck breast wasn’t such a mess to cook!

• Cabbage with sausages, apples, mustard + cheddar

  • mcvl on December 14, 2020

    I used heavy cream (no fillers) instead of olive oil, would recommend everyone else do the same. A lovely dish, uncomplicated and satisfying.

  • SheilaS on April 20, 2023

    I made this with Toulouse sausage and thought it was great. I wish I would have turned the Cheddar into little frico chips instead of just shaving it over the top but still great.

• Carrots with spicy apricot jam, mint, and almonds

  • CheesyKranskyLove on October 03, 2022

    Quite sweet but the spiciness balances it out. I used home made apricot preserve

• Shaved cauliflower salad with smoked whitefish mayo, lemon, radicchio, and herbs

  • SheilaS on April 07, 2023

    Curious combination of ingredients that was surprisingly good. Instead of making the smoked whitefish mayo from scratch, I was lazy and blitzed commercial mayo with lemon juice, zest and smoked trout. I cut the cauliflower with a knife. Will try her suggestion of a mandoline next time.

• Cauliflower with dates, chili oil + parsley

  • rmardel on February 03, 2023

    Fabulous Salad. The flavors are complex and harmonious yet distinct. Crisp raw cauliflower contrasts with the sharpness of the onion and the sweet softness of the dates. The lemon juice brings brightness and brings an acidity that makes every bite sparkle. Parsley adds an herbal earthiness, the olives salinity and richness, and the chili oil rounds out everything, making every bite a delightful explosion of flavor. This is a salad I wanted to devour. I used castelvetrano olives because they were what I had on hand, but I do think this salad would benefit from a more assertive olive.

• Cauliflower with roasted tomatoes, parsley, and bread crumbs

  • rmardel on February 06, 2023

    Simple and excellent recipe that can be pulled together while the cauliflower roasts. Although I roasted my cauliflower and tomatoes on the same pan, I suspect that this can also be done by simply roasting the cauliflower and adding pre-roasted tomatoes, a boon to those of us who roast tones of tomatoes every summer.

  • lkgrover on March 02, 2023

    Excellent vegetarian side dish. I cut the cherry tomatoes in half before roasting them. Also added Kalamata olives, which was an optional ingredient.

  • bernalgirl on October 11, 2024

    Weirdly, the olives are left out of this title and the EYB ingredients list but they add a wonderful counterpoint. We loved this.

• Cauliflower with massaged kale, lemon vinaigrette + Parmesan

  • cheekyjen on November 07, 2020

    Seems like a lot of garlic but was not overpowering.

• Roasted parsnips with fresh goat cheese, pecans, and pickled apricots

  • dinnermints on January 02, 2020

    Overall, this seemed a bit dry. Granted, my husband ended up being the one to make it and I don't know how much olive oil he ended up putting in (likely more than I would have). He took it to a party, and I stayed home and drizzled some reduced balsamic vinegar over it, which I think improved it. It may just be that there is something sneakily potato-ey about a parsnip...a mystifying vegetable.

• Smoky eggplant pasta with pounded walnut relish, mozzarella, and basil

  • TonyInSeattle on January 31, 2020

    This was a phenomenal recipe and not very difficult at all. I highly recommend grilling the eggplant or otherwise finding a way to imbue it with the smoke. Instead of a food processor, I whirred the eggplant, oil and salt in a Vitamix, which worked well to make smooth sauce. The smoky flavor of the eggplant was phenomenal. I’m a lemon lover, but I think next time I would ease up on the lemon just a little bit because it can overpower the wonderful eggplant flavor. We made four servings out of this recipe and they were quite generous portions, especially if you’re serving salad or something on the side. This would also make a great cold pasta dish for a picnic (with a little extra salt), maybe with some grilled chicken thighs chopped and mixed in. Highly recommended.

• Stewy eggplant with grilled chicken thigh + arugula

  • TonyInSeattle on February 05, 2020

    This recipe was very good, and endlessly tweakable. I made it pretty much as is for the first round. Be aware, it makes a LOT. I used a 7 quart Dutch oven, and that really wasn’t big enough until the eggplant cooked down a little. I also needed to cook it a bit longer than the recipe stated. Even then, I gave it some extra time with the lid off to encourage thickening. For the second night, I added some chickpeas to the stew and topped it with crumbled feta, basil and mint — it was even better. A few olives tossed in would have been good too. All in all, it’s a solid albeit a bit plain stew that makes a good base for many different kinds of meals.

• Charred whole romaine with hard-boiled egg, anchovy vinaigrette, and garlic bread crumbs

  • mcvl on May 25, 2020

    Changed the proportions, so it was eggs with romaine rather than romaine with eggs. Very much to my liking.

• Charred green beans with crispy chickpeas and curry yogurt

  • mzgourmand on July 25, 2020

    Fantastically delicious. My only comment - and I am far from a fat-phobe - is that I think the amount of total oil could have been reduced a bit. But this is now a definite favorite.

  • rmardel on August 16, 2024

    Quite good and simple enough.

• Turnip and potato mash with salmon, spinach, turnip, sherry vinaigrette

  • grindabod on September 02, 2020

    I really liked this dish, I think it's a great way to get to know turnip if you're not that familiar with it. In Belgium, the only way you grow up eating this vegetable is in a stew called "Hutsepot", where they're pretty much boiled to death. My boyfriend - although having eaten his fair share of Hutsepot turnips in the course of his life - had a bit of a hard time getting used to its actual taste. Let's try this again a couple times!

• Grilled pork chops with garlic and kale relish

  • Indio32 on October 18, 2020

    Pretty standard Nothing to write home about. Served with buttered mash potato.

• Collards with sausage + apples

  • mcvl on February 19, 2021

    Nice. I have had this book for a while but am just starting to use it. I made this with kale, breakfast sausages, the white wine variant, and some lovely tart apples from my Imperfect Foods delivery.

  • mcvl on February 19, 2021

    Oh! My dear husband just cubed and roasted some sweet potatoes, and I stirred some in. V. good.

  • SheilaS on April 20, 2023

    I used more sausage than the recipe indicates to make it into a main dish. I used cider as the braising liquid. This comes together very quickly for a braise and is a great combination of ingredients.

• Cucumber salad with chili oil, melon, feta + mint

  • Astrid5555 on July 17, 2021

    A little disappointing but I had a bitter cucumber and did not manage to get rid of the bitterness. Used the “Everything oil” from To Asia, with Love instead of the chilli oil, worked well.

  • bernalgirl on September 15, 2023

    I absolutely loved this salad, all the textures and flavors come together beautifully, a medley of salty, sweet, and spicy, with bright fresh mint and soft feta playing against the crunch of the cucumber. A summer favorite!

  • bernalgirl on July 14, 2025

    I inverted the cucumber and melon ratio and used a cantaloupe and Calabrian chile oil. We absolutely loved this — it’s easy, and the mix of flavors and textures is so appealing we couldn’t stop eating it.

• Green beans with eggplant, tomatoes + chickpeas

  • selena__rhea on August 10, 2021

    Delicious!

• Parsnip purée with duck breast, radicchio, and cranberry relish

  • Acarroll on December 11, 2021

    This was ok. Somehow the flavors seemed to be competing with each other. I wouldn't make again.

• Braised fennel

  • VineTomato on March 21, 2022

    The sauce is beyond delicious. The large chunks of fennel make it the star of the show but we prefer thinly sliced, which is what I'll do next time. The sauce makes a wonderful broth for beans. I served it with Ranch Gordo cassoulet beans and chard which was a wonderful combination.

• Braised fennel with white beans + chard

  • VineTomato on March 21, 2022

    Wonderful. The olive oil makes it very luxurious for a special occasion, but for a week night dinner it is not necessary the sauce form the braised fennel is enough to raise the beans to something special. I'd not had raw chard before and loved it.

• Celery root purée with dill, lemon + seared salmon

  • foodgloriousfood on April 24, 2022

    This celery root puree is amazingly decadent. I haven't made the serving variations (there are four in the book) instead I made it as a side for Christmas. It is VERY rich, but worth every calorie!

• Mustard braised potatoes with chicken thighs

  • jenburkholder on September 23, 2022

    I picked this recipe specifically to use some baby potatoes I got at the farmer's market. Sadly, they had gone bad. So I used larger potatoes, cut up, which didn't cook through in the allotted time. Removed the chicken and let the potatoes continue on. By the time they were done there was no sauce left - I added a bit of water to get to a glaze over the potatoes and onions. I don't think it's a fair representation of the recipe. It was tasty, though, so I may try again - what's not to like about chicken, potatoes, onions, and mustard!

  • chilipip on July 08, 2024

    Quite good and very easy. Everyone enjoyed it. I used baby kale, which was probably a mistake--will try adult (?) kale next time and see if it holds up a little better!

• Cucumber salad with cherry tomatoes, parsley oil, and cottage cheese

  • CheesyKranskyLove on October 03, 2022

    I didn't think the parsley oil added much and it was a fine salad on its own.

• Braised kale with jowl bacon, onions, and parsley

  • andibmarie on March 20, 2023

    a favorite kale recipe to get those greens in at lunch, serve on fried toast rubbed with plenty of garlic

• Grilled green beans with black beans, peppers + roasted corn

  • SheilaS on March 27, 2023

    Very good combo of grilled vegetables, perfect with a wedge of cornbread. For my taste, this needs acid, easy enough to adjust to taste but rather flat without it.

• Cherry tomatoes with spinach + delicata squash

  • lkgrover on April 10, 2023

    Colorful salad with cherry tomatoes & roasted delicata squash. I used both spinach & green leaf lettuce. Also added white wine vinegar to the olive oil, to make a salad dressing (recipe only called for olive oil).

• Parsnip mash with smoked paprika chili oil, arugula + pecans

  • SheilaS on April 12, 2023

    This recipe is a variation on the parsnip purée with duck breast and is given only in the form of a drawing which took me a little while to figure out. I'm glad I did though because it's a pretty great combination of flavors. The parsnip purée is flavored with star anise and orange zest. I skipped the olive oil that's added along with the cream. No arugula in the house so I sautéed some baby kale with garlic, red chili flakes and zest. I think I like the cooked, slightly bitter greens even better than the more salad-like arugula. This would be great with seared scallops or roasted chicken thighs

• Frittata with chard

  • rmardel on July 03, 2023

    Excellent, easy frittata with a texture more like a crustless quiche due to the high proportion of cream to eggs as well as the relatively low temperature bake. A bunch of chard is a rather subjective measure; it is good to eyeball your ingredients and adapt accordingly. My own chard bundles vary widely in size depending on source (farmer's market vs grocery). Also reheats well.

• Sunchoke purée with cream and white wine

  • pattyatbryce on January 09, 2024

    Fantastic and easy

• French onion dip

  • Ishie1013 on March 20, 2024

    This was a really nice dish that recommended the REAL time it takes to caramelize onions. Wound up being quite good and used it to top potatoes.

• Cucumber with cumin yogurt and parsley

  • memphiseat on May 11, 2024

    I’ve been wanting to experiment with some cooked cucumber recipes. The directions for charring the cucumber could have been a little more explanatory but the result was nice.

• Pea purée with slow-cooked salmon + radish salad

  • katiesue28 on May 28, 2024

    This was delicious! The pea puree tasted amazing and was so easy. I can't wait to make it more often. It was a perfect pairing for the salmon.

• Tomato panzanella with corn, cucumbers, and herb salad

  • chilipip on July 08, 2024

    A summer favorite and so easy. Followed exactly the first time-- have since made a few tweaks: 1) Remove some of the crust from the bread (chef's treat!) When tearing, aim for 1" chunks. 2) 4T oil is perfect for the croutons. "Glugs" are so liberating, but here I've found more precision helps 3) You can skip the oven entirely! Cooking croutons on the stove helps achieve the toasty exterior/soft interior, and quickly searing the corn (1 side only) over high heat helps keep its fresh flavor. 4) If baking the croutons, go 12ish min to get things crispier and help the salad hold up over time. 5) Skip the optional butter (?!)--it's rich but in an unexpected, dairy-ish way...a little gross. 6) Definitely add the optional vinegar! 7) A mix of herbs is key--I like the freshness of basil, parsley, and mint. 8) I don't think I'd add fresh mozzarella directly, but it's so nice on the side!

• Garlic marinated white beans with celery and parsley salad

  • chilipip on July 08, 2024

    **Way too acidic** as written! (it's probably a typo?) I trust the author so took the leap of faith, but no. Made me sweat haha. But once corrected, this was delicious, satisfying, and so quick/easy. Cut the vinegar by around 75% and paired with crusty bread for a week of perfect lunches!

• Blistered green beans with beets, yogurt + sunflower seeds

  • chilipip on July 08, 2024

    I didn't know what to expect from this flavor combination, but this was very good. Quite mild but also addictive.

• Massaged kale with tomatoes, creamed mozzarella, and wild rice

  • chilipip on July 08, 2024

    Good! I think my expectations were too high after hearing so much about this one. I also tried to make the creamed mozzarella resemble the picture by almost blending the cheese and cream together (my fault--it says "combine"). From subsequent recipes, I've learned you just need to stir and should expect chunks of cheese dripping with cream. Which is wonderful-- sort of like inside-out burrata. I've also learned that it goes especially well with very sweet tomatoes, which would have better balanced out the bitterness from the kale. Would try again!

• Simple boiled potatoes with sweet butter and herbs

  • chilipip on July 08, 2024

    Sounds so simple, but this recipe was a revelation. Having the permission to really go to town on the fat and herbs changed everything (though I sometimes scale back the fat tiny bit, mainly to avoid the waste of it pooling at the bottom) It's a nice accompaniment for acidic dishes--bitter green salads, balsamic roast chicken, lemon-y spring vegetables, etcetc. It's fun to experiment with herbs and I've benefitted from Abra's laid-back way with recipes, but it still would have been nice to have some guidance in the recipe. I typically serve this in the spring (often with eggs and one of the pan-roasted asparagus recipes for a dreamy vegetarian dinner) and use some combo of parsley, mint, chervil, thyme (lemon thyme is especially wonderful if you can find it), a little basil, etc. Side note: Unless you're eating these potatoes *as* your dinner (not that...anyone...would ever... do...that...) 1/2 lb potatoes + 4T fat definitely serves more than one person!

• Jacket potatoes with shaved vegetable salad and tuna mayo

  • chilipip on July 08, 2024

    Good! Next time I'll remove a good amount of the potato and save it for later--needed a pretty even ratio of filling to potato (more filling than potato, if anything) for things to feel balanced. We also ended up opening another can of tuna to stir in--this *tastes* like a complete dinner, but it's basically just a potato and coleslaw. That said, I really appreciate recipes like the tuna mayo, where meat/fish serve as seasoning. Rather than adding more tuna in the future (if nothing else, the chunkiness of tuna salad did not enhance the dish:)), this would be great with a bean salad--maybe the one from the garlic chapter.

• Roasted sunchokes with massaged kale and brown butter vinaigrette

  • chilipip on July 08, 2024

    This was good! Couldn't find sunchokes but the suggested parsnip swap worked great. I also lightly sautéed the kale to entice the children, but having more structure and bitterness from the raw kale would be better. I know it's annoying to rate things after making big changes (I wish there was a way to rate privately?) but for me the only reason this was a 4 and not a 5 was because the of the orange in the brown butter vinaigrette, which made everything...so juicy. Will start with just the orange zest next time and try using more sherry vinegar or maybe a bit of honey to cover some of the acidity/sweetness.

• Sunchokes with bacon, mushrooms + chicken thighs

  • chilipip on July 08, 2024

    Nice, but also surprisingly understated, flavor-wise. Season the chicken well before cooking. Use the *weight* for the onion (455 g), not the volume (1 c) which is roughly half that. Serve with crusty bread. I couldn't find sunchokes so subbed in parsnips, which were great but needed longer than 35 min to cook. Crispy chicken was delightful, as were the mushrooms!

• Crispy eggplant with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, pickled raisins, and mint

  • chilipip on July 13, 2024

    Has potential, but a bit sickening as written. Typos? Next time: 1) Reduce the fat. I *love* fat, but split 4 ways, this has ~58g/person. That’s 2 Big Macs (yes I checked the #s--wanted to see why I felt so gross, and lo!) The eggplant absorbed the entire 1/2c oil (it did look beautiful, and the first bite was dazzling:)) Either prep to reduce absorption (and still only use a “glug”) or just brush with oil 1.1) 1 ball of mozzarella is enough 2) Use halved cherry tomatoes. Slicers were too juicy and gooped everything up. Heed her advice about ripeness. Sweetness/lack of tartness is key 3) Skip the breadcrumbs. They melted into the tomato juice, and the garlic x pickled raisin combo was really offputting (imo) 3.1) Or, try panzanella style! 4) Vastly reduce the picked raisins (and avoid the liquid) They added a lot of interest, but even ~1/3 c was too much. Also brown sugar didn’t’ feel like a great fit. Maybe try honey? 5) More mint! Lovely but got a bit lost

• Braised lettuce

  • bernalgirl on August 19, 2024

    When you buy romaine and then the farm box brings more, make this. But add garlic and chile flakes and herbs. This would have been terribly boring without the accompanying salsa verde from the main.

• Garlic and spinach pasta

  • pattyatbryce on February 15, 2025

    Very easy and racklette makes it wonderfully creamy. Could be a filling main or makes a terrific side. I added at least double of the spinach and would recommend that to others.

  • hana_ohozf3 on March 16, 2026

    Tasty, but 1lb of pasta was a bit too much for the amount of sauce.

• Salad with roasted strawberries, pecans + goat cheese

  • lkgrover on June 10, 2025

    I made this salad for an extended-family dinner party, with a few simpler modifications: did not roast the strawberries; substituted fresh mozzarella for goat cheese (more appealing for my older relatives). Everyone loved it.

• Cucumber salad with red onion, lemon vinaigrette + parsley

  • bernalgirl on July 19, 2025

    A great summer salad to go with any Western European influenced main that needs a bright, crunchy counterpart.

• Chicken thighs with delicata squash + brown butter vinaigrette

  • Clairehg on October 20, 2025

    Wasn’t super flavorful. Was fine but definitely not top of my remake list.

• Cream-less corn with sautéed greens and seared salmon

  • Bessp on November 06, 2025

    I loved this, although I did make some modifications. My puree turned out more like corn soup, which I kind of liked. I made it in a pot to avoid the mess of blending in a skillet. I also added a bit of honey to give it sort of a cornbread flavor, which really worked. I used spinach instead of kale and added twice as much garlic as called for. I will definitely make this again, I liked that it was one-pan as written and each component cooked really quickly. It has a lovely, homey flavor and is super warm and comforting.

• Perfect salad

  • christina267621 on May 31, 2026

    Used fresh herb infused olive oil and jalapeno white vinegar. Made the garlic bread crumbs (pg 48) with the same oil and gluten free Italian bread crumbs. Stunning in its simplicity. The lettuce was from.thr local farmers market. I'd made it again

• Food52

  It's user-friendly as can be—the chapters are organized alphabetically by vegetable (from asparagus to turnips), broken down by technique (like braised or puréed), and bolstered with riffs...

  Full review

• Food52

  An interview with the author.

  Full review

• Kitchn

  Think of Abra as your Vegetable 101 Professor, here to rewire your brain and fill it with creative ways to put vegetables front and center.

  Full review