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There's more to a potato than meets the eye. William Woys Weaver picks one hundred of the most beautiful and intriguing vegetables from around the world and shares their stories. PETALUMA GOLD RUSH BEAN - Brought to the United States from Peru by an American whaler who jumped ship. LUMPER POTATO - The infamous potato that failed in Ireland and caused the great Irish famine - still grown and eaten today. VICTORIA RHUBARB - Named after Queen Victoria, it's one of the heaviest-producing rhubarbs. LITTLE NUBIAN PEPPER - An old Jamaican pepper known as the Sore Throat pepper, believed to soothe a sore throat when infused with rum and used as a gargle.
About the author
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.
Summary
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.
