Misunderstood Vegetables: How to Fall in Love with Sunchokes, Rutabaga, Eggplant and More

by Becky Selengut

Go from “what the heck is this” to “how does it taste so good” in this celebration of misfit vegetables. Maybe you just discovered celery root (a lumpy, softball-sized bulb), at the grocery store. Or perhaps you received watermelon radishes in a CSA package. Did a parsnip catch your eye at the farmers’ market? Even vegetables you think you know, like cabbage or brussels sprouts, will reveal next-level flavor with the right recipe. Becky Selengut has made it her mission to take less popular―or even outright scorned vegetables like beets and okra―and cook them into irresistible dishes. It’s all about knowing how to cook or serve them and what herbs and spices to incorporate. In Misunderstood Vegetables , Selengut highlights 25 vegetables, with recipes alongside history, step-by-step preparation, and storage tips. Organized by season, recipes include Feta and Citrus Salad, Charred Chard with Spicy Chile Oil, and Celery Root Gratin. A must-have for the plant-curious, this cookbook will have readers seeking out unusual and underused produce like never before. 75 photographs

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Nonfiction, Cooking

272 pages, Paperback

First published February 20, 2024

Reviews

[Miss✧Pickypants ᓚᘏᗢ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked this more for the information about the vegetables highlighted than the recipes included for their use. Anyone interested in learning about unusual vegetables, as well as many that are familiar (who isn't familiar with brussel sprouts or eggplant nowadays), will appreciate what this book has to offer.

Each vegetable has its own chapter with a description of what it is and how to select, store and cook. Following this introduction are a few recipes that showcase the vegetable. Some were unexpected but most were familiar that used the vegetable in an expected way.

Recipes are well-written and there are muted color pictures for most dishes. The layout of recipes was not ideal, steps were presented as written paragraphs and those with many steps made for dense reading. A bit more white space makes following recipes easier, even after reading through before starting.

[Dona · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really loving this book. The author's style of writing is fun to read and makes me laugh quite a bit (and not just the chapter on sunchokes). The book is divided by seasons and the vegetables available during that season are featured there. Selengut describes the vegetable, explains why it is misunderstood and why it should not be then provides a few delicious-sounding recipes for each misunderstood vegetable.

I've only made one recipe from the book (Buffalo-style Roasted Romanesco) and it was a hit with my husband and me. I've never been a huge fan of vegetables, but I like almost all of the vegetables (even sunchokes -- but not their after-effects). I plan on making many more recipes -- even the beet recipes (about the only vegetable in the book my husband and I actively dislike). I'm looking forward to more of Selengut's humor as I read more of their book. I'm now considering purchasing their mushroom book because I hate mushrooms.

[Esther Teodoro · Rating 5 out of 5]

No one but Becky Selengut could even get me to consider cooking some of these wackadoodle veggies with her fun writing and very clear step by step directions. I read this book like I’d read any book where I can enjoy a great giggle but my oh my the food! You must try some of these recipes. So delicious and you can pat yourself on the back because you’re eating vegetables!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellently done cookbook - I want to (and probably will) make every recipe. The book itself is the opposite of intimidating and, much like her other books, there are simple to more complex recipes. Every level of home cook will get something from this.

[Dray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well worth reading. It hit several veggies I find I avoid (okra, parsnips, celery root +) and makes a good case for including them in your meal plans. The main way it does this is by fantastically delicious creative recipes. Please do write more misunderstood vegetables!

[Alena Navarro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think a cookbook has ever made me laugh so much. This was entertaining, educational and inspiring. I can’t wait to eat some ugly vegetables.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had been wanting to diversify my plant-based intake. This book serves as a guide with recipes and teaches us how to use some underappreciated and misunderstood vegetables!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book for veggie fans. I appreciated the style. I don't know that I would buy it, but I definitely took away tips for cooking and preparing underappreciated veggies. I'll probably revisit this during the summer farmers' market season!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The library wanted it back before I could cook from it, but it is a fascinating and amusing read. Ms. Selengut is very knowledgeable, very creative, and very amusing - all the right stuff to make a great cookbook.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Misunderstood Vegetables by Becky Selungut is so much more than just a cookbook. The information about the veggies is so engaging and humorous you will love this book even before you try the recipes. It would have opened my eyes to a new world when I subscribed to a CSA and bypassed or gave away vegetables I didn't know what to do with, but now I’m inspired to attempt more than my usual vegetables. Get this book and you’ll be entertained and inspired too!

[Bradd Silver · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book. Is it a serious, well-researched cookbook? A comedy? A food science book? It is all these. Great recipes for all those weird looking veggies at the store or farmers market. Expand your repertoire and have fun doing it. Highly recommend

[JL · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a vegetarian for decades, so some of these "misunderstood vegetables" are already in my repertoire. This was an entertaining read with some great good humor and it was educational, even for this old veg. I decided not to treat this as a cookbook, but as informational about many vegetables (Like, it's not just me--okra DOES ooze a slime! Selegut tells us how to use it to thicken gumbos and how to use high heat in other recipes to dry it out.)

I'll admit, this book sat unopened on my dining table until I gave myself permission to browse it for information on some of these vegetables and not necessarily as a cookbook with yet more "must try" recipes to add to my burgeoning collection. Or to use it to force myself to eat vegetables I've already sworn off. I ended up reading it cover to cover--it's a deligthful read! and yes, I got out my Post-Its to mark half a dozen recipes in my first go-round as "try these!"

As the author points out, many of these vegetables are inexpensive and packed with nutrients, so why not give them a try? For that reason, I recommend cooks give this book a look-see. And believe me, playing "stump the cashier" at the grocery store buying some of these weirdos is truly a delight!

The recipes, though I wouldn't call them "simple"(though some are), are approachable, none longer than a page, and the photos are luscious. I doubt I will ever try making my own ricotta cheese as she does, but I don't have to! I felt particularly inspired by a few pickling recipes, particularly pickled chard stems. I hate to throw out green bits like those & carrot and beet tops, but this gives me something other than soup stock to make with some of them.

[Ann Peavey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have more cookbooks than I'd like to admit and therefore have found the need for a hierarchy within my cookbook shelf (i.e. there's no room for them all and I'm forced to play favorites). Without question Becky Selengut's newest book - Misunderstood Vegetables - warrants space in my 'Numero Uno' shelf. It's rare for me to read a cookbook cover-to-cover, yet Becky's ability to not only provide countless recipes and ideas for vegetables (many which have unfortunately been lost and forgotten in my veggie bin,) while regaling readers with background, stories and insight (with just the right dose of humor and relatability) make it read just as easily as a book of short stories as it does a cooking resource.
From bringing cabbage from a supporting-actor role to headline billing with her recipe for char-grilled cabbage, to making me fall in love with artichokes again, this book inspired me to give those B-list vegetables a second look. Bravo - and thanks for the inspiration! I've already picked up a few extra copies to include in housewarming baskets. :)

[Jen W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took this one out of the library to see if it might be worth adding to my kitchen references. I also subscribe to a vegetable delivery box and I wanted to learn more about some of the vegetables I've seen available to add to my order that I was unfamiliar with.

I love the concept of "misunderstood" vegetables, especially for an American audience. The book is divided into seasons, and each section goes over some of the less common vegetables available during that season. I greatly enjoyed the history and descriptions of each vegetable, and the basic storage and cooking tips. I found those incredibly informative. I would love a reference book or website like this for all vegetables.

As a cookbook, though, I didn't find many of the recipes appealing. On the plus side, all of the recipes were vegetarian, many with tips on how to make the recipes vegan. On the minus side (for me! YMMV!), many recipes leaned heavily on my mortal enemies: onions or spicy/hot ingredients. The recipes also seemed way too fussy for a busy schedule. They seemed like special occasion or weekend recipes, IMO.

This book did accomplish one thing - it made me want to try at least some of the new-to-me vegetables in its pages. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

[Wendy Church · Rating 5 out of 5]

Selengut is a good chef and a good teacher, and both are on display in this book, her sixth. The recipes are written for a real person in a normal kitchen, despite the fact that she’s worked in a number of fully equipped, high-end restaurants. I’m a meat eater, and still find these recipes compelling. There are numerous fresh and interesting vegetable/herb/spice preparations, and introductions to each vegetable, with clear directions on how to handle it (cleaning, cutting, etc..), in addition to the 75 recipes. I recommend the green shakshuka recipe to start, which is worth the price of admission by itself. Good photos, and I also like the fact that it’s ordered seasonally.

[Heather Weiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cookbook is a keeper! The recipes range from fast weekday to sophisticated dinner party. Love the kohlrabi, artichoke, and romanesco dishes! I’m not vegetarian but this definitely encourages me to make more plant based meals outside my normal salad routine. Would make a great gift because the photos are also luscious. And the writing is more interesting than what’s normally in a cookbook. Lots of inside scoop, giving veggies like okra and beets a deeper meaning to me than just food. Buy this one if you want a bill you’ll go back to over and over.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn’t an everyday cookbook. It’s for veggies you don’t often think of or see. Artichokes, beets, cabbages, rutabaga, sunchokes, romanesco, etc…. Most people have access to the vegetables, I’m just not sure that many cooks would use this book, unless they had an abundance of burdock, nettles and kohlrabi. I’d imagine serious home cooks and chefs might reference this.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Becky is an amazing chef and a great writer. Her recipes are thoughtful and simply explained. So much information about the history and culture of these misunderstood vegetables. I’m making one of her winter dishes for dinner tonight.

[Emily]

Didn't end up making anything from this - too much depended on what ended up in my CSA box while I had this book out from the library - but I enjoyed reading it and will check out more from the author.

[R.J. Gilmour · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good cookbook that helps people discover vegetables they may not know or were afraid to cook. It introduces lesser known odd veggies, while also giving context & information about each vegetable introduced.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I already like a lot of these vegetables, and there wasn't anything in here to convince me to fall in love with anything else, but there are a few really great looking recipes that I'll be trying out in the future. Probably during the right season so I can get fresh produce.

[Vjera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informational sections on many misunderstood vegetables plus recipes. Organized by seasons. I liked the history sections, the how-to sections (buying, storing, preparing), and the humor. Recipes seemed straightforward. Photos were lovely but more practical feeling than some cookbooks.

[Kim Bell Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

These vegetables are misunderstood… trying to break the code.

[Caroline Berg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm happy to say I was already familiar with quite a few of these vegetables and regularly use them in cooking, so I really was only reading this to expand what recipes I could use them in.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to the lesser-known members of the produce department or farmers market. I’ve made some of the recipes and they hold up!

[Ariste Egan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative with some great recipes

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Misunderstood Vegetables by Becky Selengut is so much more than just a cookbook. The information about the veggies is so engaging and humorous that you will love this book even before you try the recipes. It would have opened my eyes to a new world when I subscribed to a CSA and bypassed or gave away vegetables I didn't know what to do with, but now I’m inspired to attempt more than my usual vegetables. Get this book and you’ll be entertained and inspired too!

[Sienna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely worth buying!