The San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook Reviewed by Ruth Paget
One of the main reasons I have always eaten vegetables, grains, eggs, and dairy products is that they provide a huge nutritional value at a small price compared to red meat, which I eat once a month to save money as part of the Mediterranean Diet.
Being able to easily follow the Mediterranean Diet is one of the reasons I like living in Salinas, California for access to the 200+ organic vegetables and fruits that grow here. (Salinas calls itself “Americas Salad Bowl.)
San Francisco dwellers also like the organic food options available just two hours south of them in Salinas. The Bay Area’s love for produce is reflected in The San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook edited by Michael Bauer and Fran Irwin. I
have made recipes from this cookbook over thirty years as part of the Mediterranean Diet. Despite rising food prices, these dishes are still relatively inexpensive to make compared to red meat.
Some of the cookbook’s great produce recipes follow:
-puréed artichoke bisque made with artichoke hearts (can use frozen), potatoes, and garlic
-chilled cucumber soup made with puréed cucumber, garlic, and yogurt
-mixed greens soup with fennel-scented croutons made with spinach, Swiss chard, mustard greens, and kale, which are boiled and puréed with seasonings
-sorrel and potato soup (can also be made with young spinach and dandelion greens)
-fava bean soup made with onion, potatoes, and heavy cream (can also be made with lima beans)
-yellow squash soup made with cumin and salsa
-mustard-celery salad made with 3 cups of diced celery
-fennel coleslaw made with green and red cabbage, carrots, and fennel
-macaroni with wild mushroom gratin and Parmesan cheese – worth the price of the cookbook for this recipe alone
-pasta with red peppers, greens, white beans, garlic, and lemon zest
-braised bitter greens
-roast-garlic mashed potatoes
-chard and red potato gratin
-oven-fried sweet potatoes
-creamed spinach with bacon and onions
-parsnip and potato purée If you love vegetable dishes,
The San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook edited by Michael Bauer and Fran Irwin will greatly appeal to you, especially if you are looking for recipes that will help you follow the Mediterranean Diet.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
