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Fresh Pantry
Fresh Pantry: Eat Seasonally, Cook Smart & Learn to Love Your Vegetables
Amy Pennington's bestselling book, "Urban Pantry: Tips & Recipes for a Thrifty, Sustainable & Seasonal Kitchen" introduced new homemakers to clever cooking concepts and ingredients, provided experienced cooks with organizational inspiration, and helped cooks of all skill levels create sustainable and thrifty kitchens. But while Urban Pantry focused on shelf-stable, dried, or preserved goods, Fresh Pantry shows cooks how to eat a seasonal diet fresh vegetables and fruits that will offer your palate a variety of foods in sync with the seasons.
As anyone trying to eat locally all year long knows, the winter gets difficult: Walking the "local" aisles of a well-stocked produce section or around your neighborhood farmers market, you find few options onions, cabbage, and kale, oh my!
In summer, of course, the season is bountiful, but the dishes most people make at home tend to be one note how many times can we eat the same tomato caprese salad or grilled zucchini? From January to December, Fresh Pantry features 120 creative yet healthy and doable recipes centered on 12 choice seasonal vegetables and fruits; accessible and clever advice on growing, storing, and using seasonal ingredients; lush and inspirational photographs; detailed resources for sustainable eating; and the exuberant energy that marked Pennington's first book.
As anyone trying to eat locally all year long knows, the winter gets difficult: Walking the "local" aisles of a well-stocked produce section or around your neighborhood farmers market, you find few options onions, cabbage, and kale, oh my!
In summer, of course, the season is bountiful, but the dishes most people make at home tend to be one note how many times can we eat the same tomato caprese salad or grilled zucchini? From January to December, Fresh Pantry features 120 creative yet healthy and doable recipes centered on 12 choice seasonal vegetables and fruits; accessible and clever advice on growing, storing, and using seasonal ingredients; lush and inspirational photographs; detailed resources for sustainable eating; and the exuberant energy that marked Pennington's first book.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
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456 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 19, 2014
I won this book on Goodreads! I am happy to win any of the books that I do on here, but this one felt like an extra big win! This cookbook is beautifully done, with some great color photos in sections. The recipes are broken down by season and month, which I think is fantastic. There are "how to grow...." pages detailing showcased vegetables. Nothing here is overdone or wordy. some recipe books are exhausting just by looking at the ingredient list. This one is not. And the recipes are interesting...not boring or usual. A great book without being overwhelming.
August 5, 2018
Amy Pennington is a Washington State/national treasure!! I love the way she views/describes/creates recipes for foods I love (but have been needing better recipes for until now)!! If you haven't checked out her series, you should now -- you can still enjoy the summer veggies, working into the fall veggies, have more enthusiasm for the winter veggies, and, finally, as we all do, cherish the spring veggies even more.
July 21, 2014
4.5 stars – fantastic information and delicious recipes for cooking seasonal fruits and vegetables.
I received this book as part of a Goodreads First Reads contest giveaway. I absolutely loved this cookbook – I read it from cover to cover in just a few days (yes, I do love to read cookbooks!). I have not made any of the recipes from this book yet as I just recently received it, but I was so excited about it that I wanted to get this review out there. Fresh Pantry is a follow-up to Amy Pennington’s previous book, Urban Pantry, which introduced ways to create thrifty kitchens and pantries – I will be picking up this one soon.
I have a fairly extensive cookbook collection (over 300 cookbooks), so I probably have at least 30 repeats of the same old boring green bean casserole or scalloped potato recipes. But I guarantee you won’t find anything about the recipes in Fresh Pantry as boring or repetitive! A lot of the recipes in this book contain ingredient combinations that you might not initially think would go together (such as the “Summer Squash & Corn Fritters with Lox” or the “Brussels Sprouts with Smoked Fish Aioli & Parmesan”), but just because it might not be something you see every day, you shouldn’t be too quick to dismiss it. I am so excited to try the Brussels Sprouts recipe that my mouth is watering just thinking about it! That will probably be the first one I try from this book. There are also many other recipes that sound absolutely fantastic, including “Deep Roasted Broccoli with Charred Garlic”, “Rustic Onion Tart” and “Roasted Summer Squash with Cilantro Vinaigrette”.
The recipes in Fresh Pantry are broken down into chapters that are organized by month so that you’re always using the fruits and vegetables when they are at their peak freshness. Each month focuses on a different fruit or vegetable. There is a section at the beginning of each chapter that provides a thorough background of that month’s fruit or vegetable, including growing, harvesting and cooking tips as well as what to look for if you’re purchasing them from the store. Throughout the book there are numerous sections with useful tips, such as how to make roasted pepitas using your leftover squash seeds or how to make your own sun-dried tomatoes at home. There are no overly-complex cooking techniques or hard-to-find ingredients in any of these recipes, so whether you’re a novice or expert cook you will find plenty that you’ll be able to sink your teeth into. There are also beautiful color photographs of the recipes throughout the book.
Overall, this is a fantastic cookbook that will provide you with healthy and delicious fruit and vegetable recipes year-round. This book should be considered a “must-have” for everyone’s cookbook collection.
I received this book as part of a Goodreads First Reads contest giveaway. I absolutely loved this cookbook – I read it from cover to cover in just a few days (yes, I do love to read cookbooks!). I have not made any of the recipes from this book yet as I just recently received it, but I was so excited about it that I wanted to get this review out there. Fresh Pantry is a follow-up to Amy Pennington’s previous book, Urban Pantry, which introduced ways to create thrifty kitchens and pantries – I will be picking up this one soon.
I have a fairly extensive cookbook collection (over 300 cookbooks), so I probably have at least 30 repeats of the same old boring green bean casserole or scalloped potato recipes. But I guarantee you won’t find anything about the recipes in Fresh Pantry as boring or repetitive! A lot of the recipes in this book contain ingredient combinations that you might not initially think would go together (such as the “Summer Squash & Corn Fritters with Lox” or the “Brussels Sprouts with Smoked Fish Aioli & Parmesan”), but just because it might not be something you see every day, you shouldn’t be too quick to dismiss it. I am so excited to try the Brussels Sprouts recipe that my mouth is watering just thinking about it! That will probably be the first one I try from this book. There are also many other recipes that sound absolutely fantastic, including “Deep Roasted Broccoli with Charred Garlic”, “Rustic Onion Tart” and “Roasted Summer Squash with Cilantro Vinaigrette”.
The recipes in Fresh Pantry are broken down into chapters that are organized by month so that you’re always using the fruits and vegetables when they are at their peak freshness. Each month focuses on a different fruit or vegetable. There is a section at the beginning of each chapter that provides a thorough background of that month’s fruit or vegetable, including growing, harvesting and cooking tips as well as what to look for if you’re purchasing them from the store. Throughout the book there are numerous sections with useful tips, such as how to make roasted pepitas using your leftover squash seeds or how to make your own sun-dried tomatoes at home. There are no overly-complex cooking techniques or hard-to-find ingredients in any of these recipes, so whether you’re a novice or expert cook you will find plenty that you’ll be able to sink your teeth into. There are also beautiful color photographs of the recipes throughout the book.
Overall, this is a fantastic cookbook that will provide you with healthy and delicious fruit and vegetable recipes year-round. This book should be considered a “must-have” for everyone’s cookbook collection.
July 22, 2014
Fresh Pantry by Amy Pennington is described perfectly with the title. This book doesn't make any sweeping generalizations about eating fresh or dieting. But, takes a great approach to making food that is in-season and therefore less expensive.
It is organized by month, which I liked. Giving you ideas for each month of the year with a certain fresh item that you could find at your local farmers market, if you have one. Or that you could get out of your own garden with the gardening tips.
I appreciated in the preface how she explains healthy food and how she chooses ingredients for her recipes. She chooses things that will taste the best which includes items like butter or coconut oil.
I am excited to try some of these recipes over the next year as the produce becomes available.
My only criticism of the book is that I wish it was all in color and full of the wonderful pictures that she has of the food. Some of the items were recipes that I have never tried before and it would have been helpful to have pictures to know what it would look like. At the same time, I appreciate how small the book is so that it can become part of my collection.
It is organized by month, which I liked. Giving you ideas for each month of the year with a certain fresh item that you could find at your local farmers market, if you have one. Or that you could get out of your own garden with the gardening tips.
I appreciated in the preface how she explains healthy food and how she chooses ingredients for her recipes. She chooses things that will taste the best which includes items like butter or coconut oil.
I am excited to try some of these recipes over the next year as the produce becomes available.
My only criticism of the book is that I wish it was all in color and full of the wonderful pictures that she has of the food. Some of the items were recipes that I have never tried before and it would have been helpful to have pictures to know what it would look like. At the same time, I appreciate how small the book is so that it can become part of my collection.
January 1, 2015
I just love this book! I've been looking for a way to incorporate more fresh veggies into my diet (rather than just the canned stuff I usually eat) and this book has some great recipe ideas for doing just that.
I also find any information on vegetable gardening helpful. A couple years ago, I planted a veggie garden. I planted a row of sweet corn, a row of popcorn, along with rows of squash, cucumbers, carrots, potatoes, radishes, cabbages, pumpkins, etc. Only the sweet corn and squash grew (and one lone pumpkin)and the raccoons beat me to the sweet corn, so all I got out of one quite large vegetable garden was some squash. It was rather disappointing.
I definitely love this book and the information contained therein is quite useful. I would highly recommend it to fresh veggie lovers everywhere.
This book was won from the Goodreads.com website.
I also find any information on vegetable gardening helpful. A couple years ago, I planted a veggie garden. I planted a row of sweet corn, a row of popcorn, along with rows of squash, cucumbers, carrots, potatoes, radishes, cabbages, pumpkins, etc. Only the sweet corn and squash grew (and one lone pumpkin)and the raccoons beat me to the sweet corn, so all I got out of one quite large vegetable garden was some squash. It was rather disappointing.
I definitely love this book and the information contained therein is quite useful. I would highly recommend it to fresh veggie lovers everywhere.
This book was won from the Goodreads.com website.
August 8, 2014
I won this book as part of Goodreads' Giveaway. As I have started recently to eat more healthy and fresh, I have wanted to learn when fruits and vegetables are in season. This book provides such information. The book is divided into the four seasons and then monthly, highlighting a fruit/vegetable that is in season that month. Recipes are easy to follow. I would recommend the mustard-braised pork chops & lettuce as well as the halibut & lovage with ginger-tomato broth. One thing I wish the book did offer in the front or back of the book was a consolidated listing of all (most) fruits and vegetables and their respective seasons for a quick reference guide (book lists these throughout the book).
July 21, 2014
I won this book from good reads first reads and my wife and I put it use the first day we received it. The how to grow section is very helpful for us since we started a garden this year for the first time. The recipes are amazing and easy to follow and will put our veggies to tasteful use. The color photos make me hungry every time I see them. Living in Amish country Lancaster PA we have plenty of fresh veggies grown by local farmers and this book compliments them very well, giving us new and tasty ways to use them. I won't ever be bored or unsatisfied with vegetables again after receiving this book. Thank you Good reads.
August 6, 2014
I won this book from a Goodreads give-away and I really lucked out with this one. The book is beautifully done, organized to help you take advantage of what is in season during each month of the year so you can "eat fresh". The recipes are interesting and easy to follow. I have tried a few already and plan on working my way through the entire year. I can't wait! Even got my husband to "eat fresher" and he is not a veggie person. Thanks so much for this one!
August 22, 2014
I am hungry just looking at this book.I really like how this book was set up according to seasonal veggies.It makes it easy to pick up and make something according to what you have on hand from the garden and there is something for year round .Reccommended :). I won this book through goodreads for my unbiased review
July 21, 2014
This is a great resource to have on hand! I have been introducing gardening to my young children and this cookbook is a wonderful addition to help keep them involved in the entire process, from garden to table! I received a free copy of this book via Goodreads First Reads.
July 20, 2014
Fantastic book! Full of great ideas and recipes for fruits and vegetables for everyday use! This book will definitely be kept in my kitchen so I can use it on a daily basis...
FTC disclosure: I received this book free from Goodreads hoping I would review it.
FTC disclosure: I received this book free from Goodreads hoping I would review it.
August 11, 2014
I've just tried a few of the recipes from this book and have loved each one. My husband even liked them and he does not like vegetables. Can't wait to try more. This is a great book to have if you like to shop farmers market.
August 13, 2014
Great book with many tasty ideas!
April 22, 2016
Another great cookbook to have as a resource, and it allows you to have variety and seasonal recipes.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews