It Starts with Veg - by Ceri Jones (Hardcover)

About the Book

When life gives you lemons you make lemonade. But, what happens when life gives you a stick of rhubarb, a kohlrabi or a cabbage? What do you make then? This book is here to help.

Book Synopsis

When life gives you lemons you make lemonade. But, what happens when life gives you a stick of rhubarb, a kohlrabi or a cabbage? What do you make then? This book is here to help.

Chef and food educator Ceri Jones gives you 100 easy and delicious seasonal recipes for all occasions. Taking 40 vegetables, from the humble potato to celeriac, Ceri shows you the best ways to prepare them, the tastiest flavour pairings and two or three recipes for a simple supper or side dish for each.

The book is divided into vegetable families, such as brassicas, fungi, pods and leaves, and with each recipe, Ceri provides options for vegetables that can be swapped out with another one in its family - allowing variety and reducing the need to shop for more ingredients so that you can make use of what you already have in the cupboard.

The recipes are all written to serve two people and are easy to scale up if you want to cook for more - they are designed to get on the table with minimal fuss. While vegetables are the stars of the show, the recipes also include seasonal fruits, plenty of fresh herbs, whole grains, legumes, a little meat, fish and seafood, dairy and spices. This is a book that celebrates seasonality, produce, sustainability and, of course, eating more veg. Quite simply, your way of cooking veg and your recipe repertoire will be transformed.

Among the mouth-watering recipes in the book are: Kale and Walnut Pesto Green Lasagne; Kohlrabi Carpaccio with Avocado, Blood Orange and Chilli; Leek, Roasted Pepper and Cheese Toasties; and a Leftover Roasties, Herb and Gruyère Frittata.

From the Back Cover

When life gives you lemons you make lemonade. But what happens when life gives you a stick of rhubarb, a kohlrabi or a cabbage? What do you make then? This book is here to help. Chef and food educator Ceri Jones presents 40 different vegetables and shares 100 recipes with expert tips on how to maximize the flavour and versatility of the ingredients in your kitchen.

Review Quotes

'I defy anyone to pick up Ceri's book 'It Starts with Veg' and not be inspired. Every page is filled with recipes that elevate British seasonal vegetables to a whole new level. It's a book that's guaranteed to widen your vegetable horizons, and make you look at your farmer's market food boxes in a whole new light. With dishes that include elements of fish and meat, it ticks all the flexitarian boxes, while placing brassicas, bulbs, stems, fungi, leaves, pods, roots, squashes and summer vegetables firmly centre stage. It's a brilliant cookbook.' - Paul Ainsworth

'It Starts with Veg is the cookbook that modern, well-intentioned households need. We all rush out and buy the healthy stuff - whether at a local farmers' market, the 'featured' section at the supermarket or via a veg box scheme - and then we watch guiltily, helplessly, as it withers and dies in the bottom drawer of the fridge. Ceri Jones gently guides us through a myriad ways to use the seasonal special stuff. A valuable addition to the average, busy family's culinary bookshelf.'- Sally Butcher

About the Author

Ceri Jones trained as a Natural Chef in Berkeley, California. Her cooking has always had a focus on health and community, and she has carved out a niche cooking on wellness retreats around the world. Ceri is currently Food Educator at the Garden Museum in London, where she has pioneered one of the first museum food learning programmes in the country, inspiring people to cook with, learn more about, and enjoy eating plants. Above all, Ceri is passionate about empowering people with the skills they need to elevate their home cooking and inspires people to expand their knowledge of ingredients, their recipe repertoire and improve their practical know-how to give them the confidence to make the most out of and truly enjoy every ingredient on their plate. This is her first book.

To find out more about Ceri, visit www.cerijoneschef.com

@cerijoneschef