“Simple” is a word that pops up often in cookbooks, but the meaning is subject to interpretation from one author to the next. To Heidi Swanson, it’s “more of a feeling than anything else.”
That feeling comes through in the photographs that precede the vibrant, streamlined recipes in “Super Natural Simple: Whole-Food, Vegetarian Recipes for Real Life” (Ten Speed Press, $28). Branches bursting with bright red pomegranate blossoms cast shadows against a blank stucco wall on the opening page; a calming ocean view from a near-empty California beach accompanies a listing of chapter titles for Make-Ahead Breakfasts, Weeknight Noodles, One-Bowl Bakes and the like. The bestselling author/photographer lays out her culinary strategy next to a portrait of her standing barefoot at the stove of her spare and spotless kitchen, with her cocker spaniel looking on.
It’s an aesthetic familiar to the fans who have been following Swanson since she launched her vegetarian cooking blog, 101 Cookbooks, two decades ago. Since then, she’s produced five cookbooks including two James Beard Award winners — each staying true to the laid-back, plant-based cooking style and quietly seductive photographs that made her an internet star. Her latest, a softcover, is her most practical yet.
While earlier books drew heavily from far-flung travels, “Super Natural Simple” focuses on seasonal produce and a carefully curated pantry of wholesome staples procured from the nearest supermarket. She explains how she “merchandises” her ingredients — a 10-minute weekly task of cleaning out and organizing her fridge “in the spirit of a shopkeeper arranging a window display or a fisherman storing row after row of flies in a tackle box.” A “Power Pantry” in the back includes recipes for dressings, nut and seed blends, and umami-packed broths to make ahead.
Maybe one day I’ll be so organized. Even in my kitchen’s current state of chaos, I quickly whipped up Blistered Cherry Tomato Soba, Feisty Tofu with Broccoli and Nuts, and Winter Caprese Salad (made with kale and sun-dried tomatoes, and mozzarella) for three satisfying meals with little mess and no stress.
Swanson’s recipes remind us how exciting “simple” can be.
Susan Puckett is a cookbook author and former food editor of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Follow her at susanpuckett.com.
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