The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook: Seasonal Foods, Simple Recipes, and Stories from the Market and Farm

Food Lovers everywhere here is a book for us all and at this price I'll be sending them as Christmas gifts to relatives back East just to prove you don't have to live in Santa Monica to love this book. If you've ever shopped (or wanted to shop) a Farmers Mrkt this is the book for you. But perhaps specially if you have not - appreciating good food is enough to make this reading experience richly rewarding and the recipes are all truly delicious.From the beautiful color photos of the produce and their Growers comes the unfolding of their story. Then helpful topics like How to Shop - Useful Plant Terms - Handy Pantry Items and Helpful Kitchen Tools.Newly enlightened and freshly stocked ready for the lovingly researched recipes which truly utilize a variety of vegetables and fruits that many of us would not have dared - but now with QUALITY and EASE we can be ready to serve our loved ones and with a new sense of confidence and community - all that and more from the Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook.I'm thrilled with my purchase and can't wait to share its' bounty.

I was very disappointed with this book. The picutures used at the front of the book could have been spaced through out the book appropriately, as an introduction for each section. When persons look at a cook book they are expecting to see pictures of some of the dishes. Pictures speak volumes and make you want to recreate the dish. I will use it as a reference book only.

Okay for cookbook!

Great ideas for using fresh ingredients.

Many of the vegetables are hard to find outside of the west coast, even at Whole Foods or smaller farmer's markets (e.g. fiddleheads). There are absolutely no pictures.

A good cookbook for cooking with seasonal ingredients.

Fantastic!

THE SANTA MONICAFARMERS MARKET COOKBOOK"Custard from the Garden"By Amelia SaltsmanWith a foreword by Deborah MadisonA review, interview by Marty MartindaleVarious attractions draw visitors year `round. Some are bold, deeper-diving roller coasters, sedate museums, mighty cliffs and deep, deep canyons. However, appearing on more attraction lists these days are farmers' markets, and Santa Monica's Farmer's Market has become a special destination for a new breed of pleasure seekers."Open up all your senses," urges Saltsman, "look for colors, smell the aromas, feel for ripeness, taste the sweetness and listen carefully to the farmers." Saltsman. "Shopping at a farmer' market is a communal, rather than a solitary experience and one that asks us to use all our senses and be a bit adventurous. Small farmers -- wiling to grow for flavor, wait until the crop is completely ripe, then get it to market within 24 hours of harvest - this is their passion, and they want to excel."In her book, Amelia successfully shares her enthusiasm for everything market. She's quick to refer you to her Roasted Seasonal Vegetable Primer, pages 102 to 105. "This is a perfect example of how you can take the same simple technique, use the basic seasonings of olive oil, salt and pepper to dramatically heighten natural flavors ... from caramelized carrots to custard-centered summer squash." She's quick to recommend her Prosciutto and Persimmon Appetizer made with crushed, toasted peppercorns, also her Nettle & Potato Frittata.Here's a glimpse at some of Amelia's 100 farmers' market recipes:* Winter Squash Puree with Shaved Parmesan: Onion, garlic, sage, red pepper flakes, olive oil, squash, stock, cheese, pumpkin seed oil and bruschette* Grilled Fig and Market Ham Salad: Balsamic vinegar, figs, olive oil, ham steak, raw almonds, dandelion greens, lemon and Camembert-style cheese* Pummelo, Fennel and Radish Salad: Fennel, radishes, grapefruit, fennel fronds, black olives, chives, mizuna, olive oil and lemon* Romanesco with Green Olives and Capers: Romanesco or cauliflower, green olives, capers, Italian parsley, lemon zest, olive oil, red pepper flakes, lemon juice and garlic* Roasted Okra with Fresh Peanuts: Okra pods, chopped peanuts, olive oil, red pepper flakes and one lemon* Garlic, Smoked Tomatoes and Chipotles: Tomatoes, chipotles garlic, sweet potatoes, olive oil and cilantro leaves* Farfalle with Five Herbs and Cherry Tomatoes: Farfalle, olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, cherry tomatoes, Italian parsley, basil leaves, spearmint leaves, wild fennel fronds and chives* Chicken Legs with Kumquats, Prunes and Green Olives: Prunes, kumquats, olive oil, chicken, onion, garlic white wine, green olives, chicken stock and optional Harissa* Roasted Seasonal Fruit: Assorted or single fruit, red grapes, honey, lavender, muscat wine and yogurt cheese* Dried Plum and Toasted Almond Cream Tart: Plums or pluots, cognac, raw almonds, heavy cream, sugar, flour, salt, unsalted butter and egg yolksMarty Martindale can be reached at: [email protected].

This is a very interesting, attractive and useful Cookery Book. The recipes are interesting - unsurprisingly a mix of California cool and some traditional american dishes and all done with the freshest of ingredients. What makes this book special is that you know it comes from people who like food, like growing it, like cooking, like seeing presented well and see food as a vocation and not as form of uber sophistication. This is food for foodies who dont need to be cool. Excellent portraits of farmers and insights into the Farmers Market too....human and very good.