My Vermont Table: Recipes for All (Six) Seasons

by Gesine Bullock-Prado

Vermont—arguably the OG farm-to-table state—is celebrated through 100+ recipes and stories from celebrated pastry chef Gesine Bullock-Prado.

When Gesine Bullock-Prado left her Hollywood life in 2004 and moved to Vermont, she fell in love with the Green Mountain State’s flavors and six unique seasons. Spring, summer, fall, and winter all claim their place at this table, but a true Vermonter holds extra space for maple-forward mud season—that time of year before spring when thawing ice makes way for mucky roads—and stick season, a notable period of bare trees and gourds galore prior to winter.

In My Vermont Table, Bullock-Prado takes readers on a sweet and savory journey through each of these special seasons. Recipes like Blackberry Cornmeal Cake, Vermont Cheddar Soup, Shaved Asparagus Toasts, and Maple Pulled Pork Sliders utilize local produce, dairy, wine, and flour. And quintessential Vermont flavors are updated with ingredients and spices from Bullock-Prado’s own backyard. With stunning photography, Vermonters and visitors alike will revel in a seat at this table.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food

288 pages, Hardcover

Published March 14, 2023

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a strange amalgamation of recipes, some very simple and then others needing somewhat specific ingredients that might be difficult to find. The book is sectioned by season which I always like. I do also like that she includes the exact brand of ingredients that she uses, but would also have appreciated an alternative when those are difficult to source.

[Jeanette Durkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vermont is one of my favorite places to visit! This book made me feel right at home! There are quite a few recipes that I look forward to trying. The pictures are beautiful!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

November 2023 Cookbook club

I read and cooked from this book for my library's monthly cookbook club. In terms of cooking level/knowledge, it is geared towards intermediate/ advanced home chefs.

I made the corn chowder which was good and achieved its thick texture from blending everything except the corn. It calls for soaking cobs in the vegetable stock that is used in the soup. Because fresh corn and the variety I used was sweet, the soup was sweeter than other corn chowders I have made and eaten.

I also made the Unrepentantly Maple Fudge which was a fudge base with sweet and savory items sprinkled on top (pretzels, dried cranberries and pretzels). The result was a yummy caramel candy, I was unable to get fudge consistency and for the nearly 2 cups of maple syrup in the recipe, I would not call this maple fudge. I make maple fudge a few times a year from another recipe and it packs a true maple punch. The lack of fudge consistency, could have been my own faux pas.

There are other recipes I found interesting, but didn't make due to their time intensity. The other recipes made by fellow cookbook club attendees were decent, but not ones I would make. The photos are beautifully done, though at least 2 photos contained ingredients/toppings that were not part of the recipe, nor mentioned in the recipe.

These should not be considered classic Vermont recipes.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book that will make you want to drive to Vermont as soon as you finish. The photos are great, and the backstory that accompanies the recipes is great - just the right amount of history and explanation. And I love that she included Stick Season and Mud Season. I only tried two of the recipes in here so far (the Flip and Shaved asparagus toast with mashed peas). Both were great - different twists on things I eat/drink often and the toast will probably make it into our rotation (the pea mash part anyway - a good alternative to avocados). However, most of these were labor-intensive, and many required ingredients like goose and duck eggs that I don't have on hand. The desert recipes really shine, and are quite tempting. However, this is not everyday food, and with the exception of some salads and breakfast recipes, most of these would take too long to make during the week.

The other gift from this book is Maggi seasoning. I knew about it, but had forgotten about it. It's a little hard to find near me, but totally worth it. It's because of tips like this that I rated the book so highly - it's full of great ideas and warmth. So even though it won't make it into my heavy rotation, I may purchase this (I took it out of the library).

[Dianne Atkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book and the recipes look delicious. There is a lot of text to explain things which are very interesting. An example is sugaring, the making of maple syrup. BUT, the recipes have very high fat content, so if one ate from this recipes frequently, most of us would gain weight. In addition, many of the recipes are very complicated and take more than a few hours to prepare, sometimes a few days. She always makes a note of this, but most cooks with work and home responsibilities will not have the time to make these. And finally, many have ingredients that are not easily available. I checked this out from the library and will copy a few of the easier recipes for use on special occasions.

[Terresa Wellborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous pictures of equally gorgeous dishes, divided into seasons + a Mud/Sugaring season! Recipes I'd like to make first:

p. 34: Ramp Pesto Twist Bread
p. 95: Summer fruit pavlova
p. 139: Apple cider donuts
p. 151: Dog Team Tavern sticky buns
p. 153: spiced pumpkin cake
p. 158: spooky pot pie**
p. 170: Green bean casserole
p. 197: Crispy roast potatoes**
p. 225: Chocolate-Toffee Meringue Cookies**
p. 230: Sugar and spice almonds**

Pub year: 2023

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some really good recipes in here. Some are simple. Some are more advanced. Some call for ingredients not available to me such as ramps, morel mushrooms, fiddleheads, squash blossoms and Japanese knotweed to name a few. And there are way too many maple recipes for me. The hand pies, spooky pot pie and Krispy scream doughnuts will delight kids and adults. I do want to make the butternut squash fritters and several of her desserts.

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book is really beautiful, and touches my deep love of Vermont (I've been there every summer for the past 15 or so years to run an ultramarathon and see the beautiful spots.), I haven't made anything from them. That said, many of the recipes seem a bit more work than I want, and not always veg. But a beautiful book regardless; nice to browse.

[Dawn Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the recipes are over the top (and I would never even attempt 😉) but I really liked the author's writing style! Having spent my fair share of time in Vermont, I especially enjoyed her explanations of the six seasons of the state 😂 Interestingly enough, for a cookbook, the food photos are the least attractive part of the book.

[Susan Ciliberti · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting book written by Sandra Bullock’s sister. The recipes are unusual and there are beautiful photos. I will look for some of these dishes next time I visit Vermont. Couldn’t find any recipes I wanted to try.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyed this book of recipes. Intersted in trying the maraborough pie - an interesting take on apple pie.
love a cook book arranged by seasons and really love how she includes more than the 4 traditional seasons.

[Miyei · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully designed book with a wide range of recipes. There are a few speciality items required like morels and ramps (depending on where you live), but overall a very approachable book for intermediate cooks. I also enjoyed the anecdotes that preceded each seasonal section.

[Andrea Press]

For March 2025 Cookbook Club. Made ooey gooey mac and cheese, ok, not nearly as good at Tini's. Obadza Dip, just smashed raw ingredients together, maybe good heated up. Also told mike to make Chicken Wings, not that great.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice book to look through, but I didn't have any interest to make any of the recipes. I also wouldn't be able to get the ingredients in my area either.

[Dray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book for several reasons. It truly represents Vermont flavors and style. It’s an honest book with relatively easy dishes and the stories are delightful.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing really new but at least doable.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

The recipes sound delicious and I loved reading about the author's home and lifestyle.

[E. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of yummy sounding food but only for when I have the time to plan and make. Intriguing recipe for salt rising bread!!

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I get this is very Vermont specific (kind of the cookbook's whole point, really), but I wish there were non-Vermont specific ingredients substitutions - hah!

I like her writing and read every word. She seems like such a fun person!

[Joanne M. Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Veery enjoyable I own a copy. I have not cook anything yet but will in the future

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Pepper · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lovely book. I'm sure the recipes are good too, but for someone who is allergic to cheese and doesn't like baked good, there's pretty much nothing in here for you.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit more idiosyncratic than I expected, and there is a lot that I can’t imagine ever cooking. But Bullock-Prado is an engaging writer, as ever, and it’s a great love letter to Vermont. A cozy read.

[Karen Hronek · Rating 5 out of 5]

More than a cookbook. It’s a tribute to Vermont and its culture and culinary gifts to us.

[Dory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cookbook club this month. Most recipes had either cheese, maple syrup, or both. A lovely cookbook, and directions were very clear.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some worth trying.

[Jileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gesine obviously loves Vermont and her gushing is evident of that. Makes me want to make a visit… or at least eat lots of Vermont Cheddar and Vermont pure maple syrup. Some yummy recipes included!