Monday 30 April 2012

Cookery Book Review - 'Eat Your Veg'


Arthur Potts Dawson – Eat Your Veg

Having been given this cookbook to peruse and review by Octopus publishing, I initially could not recall the chef to mind, until I opened the book and instantly remembered him from his series televised on Channel 4 – The Peoples Supermarket.  During the series he was very big on eating fresh and locally sourced fruit and vegetables, and this really comes through in the publication.  The book is not a rant on how we should eat more vegetables, but gives practical and exciting ways to cook with vegetables as a main course.  Personally I am only happy to eat with vegetables as a main dish if such recipes have been intelligently thought through....  By intelligent I mean that they are packed with flavour by combining ingredients with herbs/spices or use of seasonal ingredients simply that bring out their amazing flavour when they are at their best such as Jersey Royals/British Asparagus.  Flicking through the ingredients list for many of the recipes in this book, it is clear to see that Arthur has done this.  His time working at River Café really comes through in this book, with its vast array of seasonal, fresh produce.  I was excited to cook with vegetables. 

The book is practically divided into different sections of food types, and I had a fridge full of tomatoes, so I opened up the ‘fruits’ section, and decided to make baked tomato, garlic and red pepper crostini.  As you can see from my picture it came out just as in the book, which tells you the recipes are explained well, and that the images have not been photoshopped just to please the eye!  This was a simple dish but there are recipes and ingredients to please the more experienced cook too, so something for everyone.  Would I recommend this book?  Yes!  I would give it an 8 out of 10.  In one sentence I would describe it as a punchy vegetable based cookbook designed to challenge the British way of everyday eating!

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