100
Vegetables and Where They Came From
by William Woys Weaver, Signe Sundberg-Hall (Illustrator)
A perfect leek from France. Flavorful zucchini from Italy. An infamous
potato from Ireland, and a humble lentil from Ethiopia. 100 VEGETABLES
offers a veritable cornucopia of vegetables and stories from around the
world--from Argentina to Zimbabwe, from Australia to the United States.
William Woys Weaver--veggie connoisseur, gardener, and historian--guides
us through a range of peppers, potatoes, peas, gourds, onions, tomatoes,
greens, and a whole lot more. Not every carrot is the same. All beans
aren't equal. Take the Petaluma Gold Rush bean, a rugged legume, grown
for over 150 years and brought to California by an American whaler from
Peru. Or the violet carrot, which the Greeks brought back from India following
the conquests of Alexander the Great. Mixing history, culinary suggestions,
practical information, and personal anecdotes, Weaver introduces us to
unusual heirloom vegetables as well as to common favorites. He provides
answers to general questions, such as the difference between a yam and
a sweet potato, and presents lively portraits of one hundred vegetable
varieties, which he's grown and harvested in his own kitchen garden. Organized
alphabetically by common name, 100 VEGETABLES includes beautifully detailed
drawings throughout and a helpful appendix of seed resources.
William Woys Weaver is an organic gardener, food historian, and author of eight books--including HEIRLOOM VEGETABLE GARDENING and PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH COUNTRY COOKING, both of which received Julia Child awards for food reference. He and his kitchen garden have been the subject of articles in the New York Times, Country Home, the Chicago Tribune, and Food Arts. He lives in Devon, Pennsylvania, where he maintains an 1830s-style garden, featuring some three thousand varieties of heirloom vegetables, flowers, and herbs.
