The Forest Feast: Simple Vegetarian Recipes from My Cabin in the Woods

by Erin Gleeson

New York Times bestseller!
“As soon as I opened The Forest Feast and saw the pure creativity and simplicity of the recipes, I fell in love. I’m totally charmed by this book.” ―Epicurious

Erin Gleeson made her dream a reality when she left New York City and moved into a tiny cabin in a California forest in order to be closer to nature. The natural beauty of her surroundings and the abundance of local produce serve as the inspiration for The Forest Feast , based on her popular blog. Every vegetarian will be grateful!

Most of the book’s 100 wholly vegetarian recipes call for only three or four ingredients and require very few steps, resulting in dishes that are fresh, wholesome, delicious, and stunning. Featuring appetizers, cocktails, salads, vegetable dishes as main courses, and sweets, the delightful recipes here Erin cooks with the eye of an artist. Why have mashed potatoes when you can have purple mashed potatoes? Adding color makes it just a little more fun. And cutting produce into fun shapes can make things more enjoyable, too!

Vibrant photographs, complemented by Erin’s own fanciful watercolor illustrations and hand lettering, showcase the rustic simplicity of the dishes. Part cookbook, part art book, The Forest Feast will be as comfortable in the kitchen as on the coffee table.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food and Drink, Art, Nutrition

240 pages, Hardcover

First published April 15, 2014

About the author

Erin Gleeson is the New York Times best-selling author of The Forest Feast, a vegetarian cookbook based on her blog of the same name, www.theforestfeast.com. Erin worked as a food photographer in New York City for several years before moving to a cabin in the woods near San Francisco in 2011 which inspired her blog and books. The Forest Feast is a unique cookbook/art book blend, featuring simple, colorful, vegetable based recipes that are presented visually, with minimal text. Erin's own photography, watercolor illustration and hand-lettering guide you through the steps to make each dish. The Forest Feast noterie line was released in 2015 with stationery items like journals and art prints (available on Amazon), featuring Erin's watercolors and photography. She is currently creating two more cookbooks that come out in 2016, The Forest Feast for Kids and The Forest Feast Gatherings. Erin also teaches photography at the college level and works as a freelance food photographer and illustrator.
Follow her @theforestfeast and at www.theforestfeast.com.

Reviews

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I could give this book 2.5 stars, I would. It's really a terrible cookbook, but it is beautiful to look at. The photography, the typography, the theme, the cover art work...all so on trend. I thoroughly enjoyed paging through this book and am also totally happy I didn't spend a dime on it. If you're a foodie and looking for a coffee table book, this one's for you. If you're looking for new vegetarian recipes, look elsewhere.

[Jmay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mix of watercolors, photography, and vegetables. This book is beautiful and inspires me to present my fresh veggie dinners nicely. I have to say, the recipes are ridiculous, though. It's like: 1. cut your vegetable 2. put some olive oil on your vegetable 3. cook your vegetable.

[Jennah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I made the majority of the recipes in the book and they all turned out amazing. Quick and tasty meals and side dishes, with beautiful photography. The avocado shake is now my favorite way to start the day. Some of our other favorites were the kale Caesar salad and dressing, the leek medallions, roasted cabbage with cherries and pecans, quinoa pecan frittata muffins, and the cauliflower cheese steaks.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A forest feast for your hungry eyes. A gorgeous mix of photography and art, with very simple vegetarian recipes that even I can do! The photos are crisp and large, full of yummy detail. I almost wish I could eat the pages. Check out the Forest Feast Blog.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

~Could it be, the most beautiful book in the world?~

POSSIBLY YES IT COULD. Arty as all heck, the photos and paintings in this book are BEAUTIFUL. I haven't even tried any recipes (yet? let's say yet) but that is a factor of my own laziness/living in a winter wasteland than anything (I don't think I've ever tried a persimmon, and possibly thought they were something extinct that last existed when Laura Ingalls Wilder homesteaded). One of the recipes is literally radishes with butter and salt. That's the whole recipe. Props on that one, I am legit impressed it made it into a cookbook.

POSITIVES:
- Erin says it's okay to use store-bought things like pie crust, etc if it means you'll actually bake. FINALLY, SOMEONE THAT GETS IT. Let's just say I'm not not making pie because I haven't found the right recipe yet, cookbook authors.
- Says right in the intro that dishes "could easily by served as sides with a non-vegetarian entree" - No judgement if I want to eat them with meat!!
- Notes that several of the cocktails can be made as mocktails - Thank you for thinking of us teetotalers, Erin!!
- Erin notes that few of the salad recipes are lettuce-based because she doesn't like washing salad. This is excellent reasoning and I heartily concur.
- Lots of fun cheese in these recipes, meaning they aren't vegan!!

NEGATIVES:
- Too much rosemary. Rosemary burns my mouth and makes it numb, I don't know if I'm allergic to it or just hate the way it tastes that much, but I'm not taking any chances.

NEUTRAL:
- Did not overly emphasize kale, but there was still some kale

[Tammi Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I'm a meat eater with a vegetarian boyfriend. I'm the meat and potatoes kind of girl that doesn't like chunks of veggies in my food. I puree everything. My vegetables were limited to cans of green beans, corn, broccoli and carrots. I never tried zucchini and always picked the red cabbage out of my food.

I found this book for $3.49 at my local thrift store. Upon a quick scan in the store, the recipes looked very simple. I was willing to try it!

I sat down over the next weekend and compiled a list of all these weird-to-me veggies and strange-to-me ingredients and hit the grocery store!

The first dish I made had my boyfriend making those short of moaning sounds as he ate. The second dish had him bragging on social media. The third dish had him looking at me like I was God's gift to the veggie world!

But the best part is that this meat eater has loved every single recipe and veggie! The additional sauces Gleeson includes at the bottom of the pages are amazing and so very tasty! Everything about this book turned out to be above my expectations! The esthetics of the book are beautiful. The recipes are delicious! The directions are very easy to follow and simple. The variety is appreciated!

Overall, I've recommended it to everyone, including my doctor! And I'm considering grabbing the Mediterranean book now! And I hate Mediterranean food. But, I know that if anyone can convert me, it's the magical Erin Gleeson!

[AJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything I've ever wanted in a cook book. Simple recipes that make sense to my beginner mind. Beautiful photos and illustrations. Common ingredients. I'm lucky to find ONE recipe that I feel capable of and interested in making in a cookbook, but Gleeson opened my eyes to the potential of everyday ingredients that I already know and love. This book is definitely a keeper.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book. The recipes aren't really anything special, but the styling and typography are so pretty!

[W · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title is right - the recipes are super simple, but so far all the ones I've tried have been extremely tasty. Love the full-page photos and the illustrated directions.

[Brindi Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best quick and simple, with very little ingredients, recipe book I've come across. I always enjoy her cookbooks! And so visually appealing!!

(this would be a great gift for a young adult just starting out on their own, learning to cook, and enjoys eating their fruits and veggies!)

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were some recipes that actually looked pretty good🤔

[Emily Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful, but not at all a functional cookbook. The pages are aesthetic but not actually written like recipes, and some of the "recipes" are just not that (dip some strawberries in Greek yogurt for dessert! Not a recipe, not a dessert).

2.5 stars

Update: I've now cooked from this recipe book (one sweet and savory, which I do everytime I get a new cookbook) and neither recipe was impressive.

[Jocelin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had the appearance of a coffee table cookbook. The recipes where presented in a way that looked like a set-up for a magazine shoot. I loved the presentation of the recipes. They were interesting and looked very tasty.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations, simple tasty recipes. lovely feeling to it

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the most beautiful cookbooks I have ever seen. 5 stars for the pictures, 3 stars for the recipes.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this cookbook. The photographs are beautiful. The recipes are creative and not too hard. It's mostly inspiring.

[Kim Weitkamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite cookbooks. Beautifully illustrated in watercolors by the author. Easy but impressive dishes.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found a handful of recipes to try! It’s really just a beautiful, artistic cookbook. Fun to even just flip through.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really unique cookbook in that it's very artistic and includes lots of beautiful photographs and illustrations by the author. Erin Gleeson grew up in California on an apple orchard, but when she moved to New York City she felt right at home there. After eight years in NY she and her husband had the opportunity to move back to California and they found a small cabin in the woods that they fell in love with. Inspired by the forest around their new home Erin started creating recipes that she felt reflected their new cabin life. While all the recipes in this book are vegetarian you hardly notice because everything looks so good. It's organized like a traditional cookbook with chapters on appetizers, salads, etc., but with really unique illustrations. This book is worth picking up just to look at the beautiful photographs, but you'll probably find at least a few recipes you want to try too.

[Caroline Berg · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is undeniably lovely, but the recipes are ridiculously hard to read, with the photo backgrounds behind the text, multiple fonts used, and how the ingredients are mixed into the recipe steps.

[Sophie Seehausen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The recipes are so simple and beautiful. Eat the rainbow is easy with this cookbook!

[Cheryl]

Gorgeous! Haven't tried a recipe yet.

Borrowed library ebook. Likely will buy myself a copy.

[Sanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful book 👏

[Juli Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is beautiful--certainly one of the most beautifully designed cookbooks of the last five years. I loved every minute I got to spend gazing at the pages. That said, unless you are an absolute beginner cook, the recipes are pretty anticlimactic for all the photographic fuss made over them. There is definitely an emphasis on fresh produce and quality ingredients most of the time, but a lot of the recipes are pretty common sense. Brie wrapped in store-bought puff pastry? That doesn't need a recipe. Neither does a yogurt-granola parfait, which every gas station has been making since at least 1997. The salads are a high point in the cookbook for me, with fairly unusual dressings and a unique "colorblock" approach that I look forward to trying out. Overall, the recipes are very easy, with nice, short ingredient lists that make them extremely approachable for a newbie cook.

There is no way I would recommend this book to a seasoned cook, but I might buy it for a young friend just moving out on their own or a young couple with a brand new CSA membership. It's worth at least taking a gander through at the bookstore because, seriously, the book design is drool-worthy.

[Dane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wonderful

I initially thought that I'd never make any of the recipes in this book when I first saw it in Anthropologie; the recipes seemed too precious and unlike anything I'd ever eat. This was the only thing that stopped me from dropping the$25 for it on the spot, because it is an absolutely beautiful book. Erin Gleeson's art and photography are stylish and lovely, so much so that every time I've seen it since, I was tempted to buy it all over again.

So I finally checked it out from the library as an ebook, and now I find that the recipes are, in many cases, absolutely something I'd make. I opened up my kindle while I was in the grocery last night to make sure I got everything I needed to make the asparagus tart.

I'll print several recipes for my own homemade cookbooks, and buy the hardcover as well.

[Bookfanatic · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my goals for the new year is to eat more vegetables. While I'm not vegetarian, I eat primarily vegetarian meals now and I feel better for it. I saw this book at a used bookstore in San Francisco. The bookstore is Green Apple in case anyone wants to check it out. The book immediately caught my eye. It's visually stunning. The photographs are are top notch and gorgeous; it's not like photos in the typical vegetarian cookbook. The recipes themselves aren't complicated. Someone with basic cooking skills could make these recipes which are delicious. Unless you live somewhere completely rural or international, I think you can find most of the ingredients too. This book is a keeper.

[Wai'ala · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an absolutely winner!! in looks, layout, recipes, tasty-ness and all around goodness. The day I bought it I began making her 'simple', delicious and colorful recipes for myself an a family who loved them. When it comes to cookbooks I'm really picky, but the moment I saw this one I knew without even opening it that I had found a treasure. Adding the fact that its vegetarian and has stunning photos and whimsical illustrations only made this a complete prize. It is my new absolute favorite cook book and is truly inspiring for the chef and artist in everyone.

[Glenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems inadequate to refer to the book as a cookbook. It is an art book with recipes -- very sumptuous in a rustic way.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I preferred the "The Forest Feast for Kids" book.

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

The photography in this book is gorgeous! I love the aesthetic, it really is a feast for your eyes. It is filled with colorful veggies set in a gorgeous forest backdrop with lots of antique plates, glasses and cutlery to really set it off.

Unfortunately, what is lacking in most of these dishes is flavor. This is really a 2 1/2 star review for the recipes...because, after all it is a cookbook. If I was giving it a rating for the layout and photography it would be 5 stars!

On to the food, I tried a total of six recipes out of the book and I am afraid 3 were misses and 3 were maybe keeps, with nothing that really blew us away.
They first recipe we tried was the Guacamole Deviled Eggs on page 20. They were unique and fun to make but very bland. They just cried out for salt and flavor. I make a mean guacamole and I would rather have that with a different deviled egg.

The second recipe that we tried was the nectarine and tomato salad on page 108. Generally, I do not care for the mixing of sweet and savory flavors, but these flavors paired well together and it was gorgeous. This would be a fun salad to serve in the summer. As our Turkish friends say-çok güzel! We served this on August 6th and it was not only summery, but highly photogenic.

The next recipe that we prepared was the Beet Salad with Pink Eggs on page 92. Both my husband and I really enjoyed the simple citrus dressing. The salad was colorful and tasty due to the dressing. It would be a good salad to serve for variety to guests because it is different. I think both my husband and I would have preferred a salad with more vegetables in it, in fact my husband thought you could cut the amount of beet in half (quantity and physically) and add more mixed vegetables.

The fourth recipe we tried was the Strawberry Cucumber Ribbon Salad on page 115. This was met with mixed reviews. My husband thought the flavors were very muddled and didn’t care for it at all. I thought it was a fun and colorful salad, of course I am partial to cucumbers in general. I felt that the feta paired really nicely with the cucumber, strawberry, and toasted almonds. It was really about getting the perfect bite. This would make a good salad for entertaining in the spring and early summer.

The Orange Cabbage Salad on page 98 was ho-hum. It was picturesque, but lacked flavor. This was a case where I was really disappointed and would not make again.

The final recipe we prepared was the Potato and Green Bean Salad on page 96 with the Greek Caesar Dressing (#7) on page 89. This was a very different salad for us as the green beans are eaten raw. The Caesar dressing was tasty and easy to prepare, but the dish was much better warmed as leftovers on days 2 and 3.

I really want to live in this forest and look at all the food...just maybe not eat it. I have not purchased The Forest Feast Mediterranean and now I am more hesitant to do so. It too is filled with gorgeous photography.

If you are looking for new and tasty predominantly vegetarian dishes this may be a pass, but if you are looking to be inspired by food, colors and backdrop this could be the book for you. Be inspired to cook and eat, but get your recipes elsewhere.