Read Local

Cooking with Shelburne Farms: Food and Stories from Vermont
By Melissa Pasanen with Rick Gencarelli (Viking Studio, 2007 • $34.95)
Melissa Pasanen tells the story of a Vermont farm-turned-education-center and the people and food behind it. Chapters are organized according to featured Vermont products, with mouthwatering recipes like Maple-Chipotle Scallops and Hot Milk Sponge Cake.

The Farm to Table Cookbook: The Art of Eating Locally
By Ivy Manning (Sasquatch Books, 2008 • $29.95)
This is a practical and beautiful guide to farmers’ markets with inventive, delicious recipes like Dandelion Greens, Italian Sausage & Fontina Cheese Pizza, which we tested and loved. “How to Choose” tips for picking unfamiliar produce and “Tips for Happy Market Going” are helpful.

Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes: Recipes from a Modern Kitchen Garden
By Jeanne Kelley (Running Press, 2008 • $35.00)
Stunning enough for the coffee table, but with easy recipes like Coriander-Roasted Salmon with Cilantro-Dill Yogurt Sauce, this book won’t leave your kitchen. Kelley takes eating locally a step further with a guide to starting a backyard garden, including tips on keeping chickens.

Simply Organic: A Cookbook for Sustainable, Seasonal, and Local Ingredients
By Jesse Ziff Cool (Chronicle Books, 2008 • $24.95)
Author Jesse Ziff Cool is serious about seasonality, dividing her recipes into not four but eight seasons. Try Lamb Chops with Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce for the first of spring and Cream Cheese-Glazed Sponge Cake in midsummer. Originally published in 2000, this book has been reissued and it’s worth checking out.