Dandelion and quince - Michelle McKenzie

Dandelion and Quince is an illustrated cookbook that celebrates the less familiar and more unique produce available to all of us. There is so much at the farmers' market and local grocery store yet to be discovered by the everyday cook: mustard, kumquats, spigarello, nettles, fava leaves, sunchokes. Professional chefs have embraced these blossoms, berries, leaves, and roots, and we-their approving patrons with our increasingly curious palates--are ready to prepare them in our own homes. Whereas arugula and kale once seemed exotic, now they're as everyday as peas and potatoes. The same can be true for the ingredients in this book. They belong in our home kitchens. These are simple foods that satisfy our need for a diversity of plant life in our diets, grown with care and prepared by our own hands for our families and communities. Through 150 simple but distinct recipes, Michelle encourages each of us to learn from her recipes so that we can find our own compass in the kitchen. By following recipes, tasting constantly, and making mistakes, the reader will be able to eventually close this book and approach an unknown vegetable with newly skilled hands and a knowing palate.