Produce is magical, and the farmers who harvest it are wizards. Whether you’re a professional chef or just a casual food enjoyer, there’s no denying the pleasure that comes with tasting a stunning carrot, a heavenly heirloom tomato, a perfectly ripe peach, or some luscious fresh greens. And for those who observe, you already know what time it is: Farmers market season is upon us (“us” being Midwesterners, since I recently learned from my LA-dwelling editor that on the West Coast it’s basically always farmers market season). In any case, whether you live in Chicago, San Francisco, or New York, there’s no denying that seasonal produce is proof that us humans are, at least in some way, meant to be happy and enjoy food. Put down the Pizza Rolls (no shade thrown, truly) and plow forth for the ultimate guide to becoming an absolute master of freshly-sourced fruits, veggies, and beyond.
For some deeper insight on how best to approach produce in all its glorious ways, I first talked to Abra Berens, author of new fruit-forward cookbook Pulp (lovingly reviewed here and cooked through here) as well as masterful tomes Ruffage and Grist; together, they constitute a trilogy that basically teaches you how to create a rustic masterpiece out of nearly any kind of fresh food imaginable. When Berens, who also does a lot of work with farms, visits a market, she first surveys the space. “This is usually the time that I buy a pastry and a cup of coffee,” she says. “Then, I go very slowly around the market again, really looking at stuff and talking with the vendors. My go-to question is, ‘What are you excited about today?’ It opens up the conversation and gives me insight into their farm, their business, their day, and what I should try.” Once she zeroes in on produce that appeals, she’ll grab whatever looks good and figure out a recipe for it later. “That’s why [my] books are written this way—to make it easy to look at the market tables, farm box, or fridge shelves without a plan and provide ideas after the fact.”
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Berens recommends starting eating the more perishable items first—if you have salad greens and cabbage, eat the greens first; if you squished your berries on the way home, use them right away or find some way to preserve them, like freezing them (or, like, making a jam). “I think I’m so fixated on [preservation] in Pulp because I’ve heard a lot of folks say that they don’t buy fruit because of how quickly it goes bad. If you aren’t able to eat everything up, there are little tips to extend the life. My go-to is the freezer; any fruit that shows the slightest sign of turning—into the freezer.” The best way to do that, if you aren’t already an immensely creative home cook (though you can certainly become one) is to stock up on killer cookbooks.
I also talked to Jeanine Donofrio, the popular recipe developer and author you may better know as Love & Lemons; if you’re an online recipe seeker, it’s very likely that you’ve cooked dishes from her website once or twice (or in my case, many times). Her newest book, Love & Lemons: Simple Feel-Good Food, which came out April 25, is already a New York Times bestseller. Donofrio is a big time farmers market goer, scooping up whatever’s in season. “Right now, I’m bringing home bags full of asparagus, radishes, and spring lettuces,” she says. “In July, it’ll be zucchini and cherry tomatoes. In August, peaches and sweet corn, and so on.” Like Berens, Donofrio puts good produce first, and comes up with a cooking plan later. “I have a hard time resisting beautiful produce, so if I see, for instance, a gorgeous bunch of rainbow chard at the market, I will be buying it, whether I have a plan for it or not,” she says. Starting off by buying what looks good rather than going off a recipe is consensus among good chefs; it’s also something Chez Panisse chef-owner Alice Waters preaches in her MasterClass (which I actually watched all of).
Donofrio’s new book has a pointed sustainability angle—she offers ways to use produce for multiple meals, and at different stages in its process. In one section, for example, she gives a recipe for seared cabbage wedges, then suggests other uses for the leftover cabbage: A couple days later, you make loaded pita nachos with pickled cabbage and leftover sauces from the previous meal, and then, for a later meal, make chickpea tacos with pickled cabbage and roasted chickpeas left over from the nachos. It’s an extremely smart way to conceive of a set of recipes, using one item across a few dishes rather than leaving the reader to figure out what to do with what’s left. “I think people often don’t realize how versatile different types of fruits and vegetables really are,” she says. “Even if you do like a certain veggie a certain way, still experiment with new ways to cook and season it. You might discover a preparation you love!”
There are many ways to go about making the most of your produce, whether you’re visiting the farmers market, the grocery store, or your own backyard garden. Whatever the source, here are some of the best cookbooks to use when figuring out what to make with your amazing ingredients (or, you know, just trying to pump up some frozen spinach or corn from the grocery store).
“Pulp,” “Ruffage”, and “Grist” by Abra Berens
Whatever your produce is, Berens’ three books constitute a road map to incredible success in the kitchen. Through them, you’ll not only come across hundreds of stunning, veg-forward recipes (though there is still plenty of meat and fish), but some of her marvelous creativity will surely rub off on you. “I always say take a bite of an ingredient, close your eyes, and literally write down whatever the other flavors [are] that come to mind,” she says of coming up with unique dishes. That approach is clear throughout all of these books.
Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables (opens in a new window)
“Listen to Your Vegetables” by Sarah Grueneberg
There are plenty of Italian classics here, like pastas and eggplant Parmesan, but also a ton of cool preparations for whatever veggies you may find yourself with. The bucatini verde with Tuscan kale pesto and walnuts is a staple in my household. Buy the book just for that recipe.
“On Vegetables” by Jeremy Fox
What an iconic and endlessly fascinating deep dive into vegetables this book is. On Vegetables is a bit more complex and elevated than some other cookbooks—but what’s not to love with elevated avocado toast and creamed corn? From the daikon piccata to the carta da musica, the photos here are jaw-droppingly beautiful (and the recipes are pretty genius, as well). This is one you’ll want to flip through over and over.
On Vegetables (opens in a new window)
“Eating From Our Roots” by Maya Feller
Feller is a registered dietician and nutritionist, and her approach to cooking looks far, far beyond prescribed fad diets, which never work equally for those who try them. Here are dishes for all types of eaters, culled from diverse regions across the globe. I love the breadth of ideas here. Extra tomatoes? You could make Bahian-style chicken wings from Brazil; gazpacho de tomate from Spain; or flame-broiled tomato with zucchini blossoms from the U.S.’s West Coast.
Eating From Our Roots (opens in a new window)
“Love & Lemons: Simple Feel-Good Food” by Jeanine Donofrio
Donofrio’s new book is a great motivator to mix it up and use veggies in new and unexpected ways; its attention to food waste lets you chop up (pun intended, thank you!) your produce into various components used in multiple dishes. A very cool read.
“Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables” by Joshua McFadden
This is one of my all-time favorite cookbooks, and definitely my most gifted. It really taught me to think hyper-seasonally about produce, dividing its recipes up by season (spoiler alert: there are actually six of them). I love using this book in a sort of “opposite” way; if it’s late summer, I’ll see what the ideal veggies are for that season, and seek those out. It’s a magnificent way to learn about food, and I can’t offer a higher recommendation for a cookbook.
“Salad Freak” by Jess Damuk
I am a salad freak. I love this book. No matter how good you are at making salads, you can always be better, and this book is full of fun ideas, cool flavor combos, and bright photos that’ll make you want to not only embrace your love of salads, but push it further.
Salad Freak (opens in a new window)
“How to Cook Everything” and “How to Cook Everything Vegetarian” by Mark Bittman
Have something to cook? It is probably covered in these volumes (or at least that’s the claim) by former New York Times columnist Mark Bittman.
“The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone” by Deborah Madison
For many years, this has been considered one of the standards for vegetarian cooking. It’s one of the most lauded cookbooks ever, and Madison is considered a behemoth in the game.
The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (opens in a new window)
“Plenty” by Yotam Ottolenghi
Everyone’s got their favorite cookbook from London giant Yotam Ottolenghi. Plenty is probably my favorite. There’s so much in here: black pepper tofu, soba noodles with eggplant and mango, and the burnt eggplant with tahini and pomegranate, which is one of my most cooked dishes ever.
Plenty (opens in a new window)
“Whole Food Cooking Every Day” by Amy Chaplin
A modern classic. I frankly haven’t spent much time with this one, but people absolutely love it, and I know many would be mad if it wasn’t included here. I know what I’ll be reading this weekend.
“Chez Panisse Vegetables” by Alice Waters
Learn a ton about veggies from this one, and find killer recipes for everything. And I mean everything, from chicories and leeks to mustard greens, parsnips, and watercress. Now all you need is an indoor wood-burning oven and a giant spoon!
Chez Panisse Vegetables (opens in a new window)
See you by the microgreens!
The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals?Sign up for our newsletter.
