Planning Plantings for the Kitchen by Henry Homeyer 9 April 2003

Winter recently played a cruel trick on us, dumping a foot of snow on our gardens here in Cornish Flat- just when we thought spring had finally arrived. Those daffodil noses that were poking up disappeared beneath a featherbed of white, and the snowdrops in full bloom went back in hibernation. I was not amused, though I know no damage was done- except, perhaps, to our psyches.

Still, spring is on the way and if you haven't started planning your vegetable garden, you should. I recently got a book that made me think more about what I should plant, and sent me out looking for some more interesting seeds. Ellen Ecker Ogden's new cookbook, "From the Cook's Garden" is a wonderful cookbook for gardeners who like to cook, or cooks who like to garden.

Nearly 20 years ago Ellen Ogden co-founded a seed company, The Cook's Garden (www.cooksgarden.com/1-800-457-9703). She has consistently spiced the seed catalogs with interesting and wonderful recipes, helping gardeners to create more interesting recipes with the bounty from the heirloom and exotic vegetable seeds they sell.

One of the things I love about this cookbook is the practical tips. For example, in a recipe for asparagus with lemon chive sauce, Ellen notes that "Homegrown asparagus spears are never uniform, so it is best to cook them lying flat in a skillet, removing the thinner pieces as they cook." It's true that the little ones often do get overcooked, but I never thought about the alternative Ellen provided. And although I never thought that asparagus from the garden never needed anything but a little butter, this recipe sounds good enough to try on company.

In addition to the usual cast of characters, the book uses vegetables that you might not usually grow, things like fennel, cippoline onions, cardoon, rapini (a.k.a. broccoli raab) or Gilfeather turnips. The later, Ellen Ogden tells us, are named for the Vermont family who has handed them down through several generations, and are the biggest and best available. But here, as she does throughout the book, Ellen gives us substitutions for what might not be available this year in your garden or the farm stand. Her turnip recipe also adds some zing to what I find is a slightly boring vegetable: she adds apples, cinnamon and nutmeg. Hmm, maybe I'll grow some this year.

The recipe for Crisp Potato Wedges with Rosemary not only tells you that there are different kinds (beyond baking potatoes and regular potatoes), Ellen mentions that Yukon Gold or a thin-skinned red potato are best for the recipe. And she provides a little box on the side with cooking tips: "For crispy results, sautéed potatoes should be completely dry before adding to the hot olive oil. Pat them with a kitchen towel before adding to the skillet." I never knew that. And, she explains that one should add salt only at the end, as it will draw out the moisture and make the potatoes soggy.

I love how personal this cookbook is. Ellen says, for example, "Savoy cabbage is surely one of the most beautiful vegetables in the garden. It is so attractive that I find it hard to harvest." One gets a sense of who she is and what she likes. Decorative cabbage, I like the concept. No other cookbook has gotten me thinking about the aesthetics of the food- in the garden, that is. Hmm, I may have to see about getting some seeds.

And I like the subtle humor in this cookbook, referring, for example to the Vegetable Dark Ages when almost all vegetables were considered side dishes. The book produces fine vegetarian main dishes, things like Ricotta-Stuffed Pattypan Squash or Beet and Goat Cheese Soufflé. In some, such as Vegetarian Egg Rolls with Savoy Cabbage Filling, she notes that ground meat could be added for those who don't wish a vegetarian dish.

I have always loved the woodcuts of Vermont artist Mary Azarian, and this book is endowed with dozens of gorgeous prints. If I weren't such a book lover, I'd consider cutting out a few pages to frame and hang on the wall. Mary Azarian has provided artwork for the Cook's Garden Seeds catalog for as long as I can remember, but this collection includes many that I have never seen.

If you wish to expand your repertoire in the kitchen you may wish to have a look at the book now, when you can still plant new varieties of things. I've been meaning to plant broccoli raab (a spicier relative of broccoli with an almost bitter bite that is used in Italian cooking) these last few years, but never remember until it is too late. This year- thanks to Ellen Ogden's new book- I've gotten some seeds and will try them.

I'm the sort of cook who doesn't generally use a book- I get an inspiration and have at it- but this cookbook has my mouth watering with new approaches to standard fare. This week I shall try her Herbed Chicken with Cider Sauce- a new combination of flavors that sounds yummy. And I'll go get some savoy cabbage seeds before its too late.