Cruising through the supermarket, it’s easy to lose track of the seasons, with most produce now available year-round. That said, I do feel a rush of excitement whenever my neighborhood farmers market opens, reminding me of the incomparable flavors and fragrances of fleeting ingredients only local soil can provide.
As co-host of the James Beard-nominated video series “Kitchen Unnecessary” and a certified nature and forest therapy guide, Ashley Rodriguez encourages us to step farther into the great outdoors to appreciate the full bounty of what nature offers at any given time of year.
Rodriguez calls her third cookbook, “Rooted Kitchen: Seasonal Recipes, Stories, and Ways to Connect to the Natural World” (Potter, $35), “a guided seasonal meditation on Earth’s movement.” If her ethereal prose isn’t enough to motivate you to strap on hiking boots or pitch a tent, her recipes will likely inspire you to become a more mindful food shopper and cook.
In chapters organized by the seasons, the “what grows together goes together” philosophy shines through on every page — in recipes, photography, essays and guides to mushroom-foraging, fermenting, preserving edible flowers, and cooking over fire.
Living in the Pacific Northwest, Rodriguez readily cooks with the nettles and maple blossoms she harvests on walks through the woods. Most of her recipes, however, can be re-created wherever you are.
I couldn’t resist jumping ahead to the summer chapter to try Chicken Braised in Peperonata: boneless, skinless chicken thighs sliced and smothered in a heady melange of sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes, garlic and onions roasted until charred, which was as delicious as it sounded.
I have on my radar Smoked Trout Dip with Potato Chips and Radishes; Spring Nicoise Salad with Oil-Poached Cod; and Green Garlic and Dandelion Pancakes — all ready to call into action as soon as I spot the requisite ingredients at my local farm stand.
Susan Puckett is a cookbook author and former food editor of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Follow her at susanpuckett.com.
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