100 Vegetables and Where They Came From [Hardcover]

When is a squash more than a squash? When it is one of Weaver's selected classic heirloom vegetables. In this book, which he maintains is both "a garden book for cooks and a cook's guide to the garden," Weaver relates the botanical and cultural histories of vegetables originating from every corner of the globe, from Turkmenistan to France, and from Switzerland to South Africa. He doesn't just include such exotic vegetables as orache, purple youtia, yacon, bambara and tartar bread plant; he also notes subtle differences in texture, flavor and origin of countless varieties of peppers, potatoes, beans, tomatoes and other familiar vegetables. Thus, he pronounces Arran Victory potatoes (Scotland) to be "the ultimate potato," with "color so intense they resemble candy imitations," whereas the Beauty of Hebron (New York) is praised for its vigor and its early maturity. He notes that Jerusalem artichokes, which were considered by the French in the 18th-century to be "the worst vegetable," later found favor with the Pennsylvania Dutch. Weaver's choice of vegetables is not limited to those of interest to gardeners; they must also possess culinary merit. To stimulate curiosity in these qualities, he includes cooking recommendations with each vegetable profile. For example, he suggests that Chioggia squash, dating back to 16th-century Venice, is delicious sliced and grilled with olive oil, and that the Alma pea (Sweden) is best served with crayfish, a porter flavored with dill, and a little Chopin in the background. Readers will be pleased to see a source list for seeds of these classic vegetables, which are aptly illustrated with Signe Sundberg-Hall's detailed drawings. (Oct.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Frustrated with the uniformity of potatoes, carrots, peppers, and peas found in most grocery stores, connoisseurs of vegetables have turned to ancient and rare varietals to add color and taste to their tables. Gardeners have risen to the challenge of raising something unusual in their plots. Instead of rows of popcorn, gardens yield crops of nunas, popping beans first cultivated by South American Indians. Potatoes come up from underground in innumerable shapes, sizes, colors, and flavors. And they carry odd names such as the Beauty of Hebron. Gardeners also have taken these heirloom plants to heart for their often-remarkable flowers and foliage. Few plants look as dramatic as Jamaica's Little Nubian Pepper, its leaves so dark green they're almost black. Weaver has tracked down the history of 100 of these rediscovered glories and recorded their fascinating origins and characteristics. His comprehensive source list for seeds and lengthy bibliography make such exotic plants easily accessible to every gardener. Renewed fascination with heirloom vegetables makes this book a valuable addition to library collections. Mark Knoblauch
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A perfect leek from France. Flavorful zucchini from Italy. An infamous potato from Ireland, and a humble lentil from Ethiopia. 100 Vegetables offers a veritable cornucopia of vegetables and stories from around the world--from Argentina to Zimbabwe, from Australia to the United States. William Woys Weaver--veggie connoisseur, gardener, and historian--guides us through a range of peppers, potatoes, peas, gourds, onions, tomatoes, greens, and a whole lot more. Not every carrot is the same. All beans aren't equal. Take the Petaluma Gold Rush bean, a rugged legume, grown for over 150 years and brought to California by an American whaler from Peru. Or the violet carrot, which the Greeks brought back from India following the conquests of Alexander the Great. Mixing history, culinary suggestions, practical information, and personal anecdotes, Weaver introduces us to unusual heirloom vegetables as well as to common favorites. He provides answers to general questions, such as the difference between a yam and a sweet potato, and presents lively portraits of one hundred vegetable varieties, which he's grown and harvested in his own kitchen garden. Organized alphabetically by common name, 100 Vegetables includes beautifully detailed drawings throughout and a helpful appendix of seed resources.

A tear-shaped shallot that is the darling of French cuisine. An American pea named after a gambling game. A violet carrot brought back from India by the Greeks following the conquests of Alexander the Great. William Woys Weaver - veggie expert, gardener, and food historian - presents a range of peppers, potatoes, peas, gourds, onions, tomatoes, greens, and a whole lot more. What's the difference between a yam and a sweet potato? Are Jerusalem artichokes from Jerusalem? Where was the first tomato grown? Mixing history, culinary suggestions, practical information, and personal anecdotes, Weaver tells the stories behind a variety of one hundred vegetables - stories about a pepper from the western slopes of the Andes (perfect for salsas and easy to grow in containers throughout North America), about a flowering fava from England (both the leaves and flowers are edible), about a squash from an ancient fishing town in Italy (good for stuffing and delicious with white wine), and a striped tomato from California (a must for salads and outdoor buffets). William Woys Weaver has selected one hundred of the most irresistible vegetables, all of which he has grown and harvested in his own kitchen garden. With a helpful appendix of seed sources, practical tips, and beautifully detailed illustrations of each vegetable, 100 Vegetables and Where They Came From is a worldly feast for gardeners, vegetable lovers, cooks seeking inspiration, and those curious to know more about what's on their dinner plates.

There's more to a potato than meets the eye. William Woys Weaver picks one hundred of the most beautiful and intriguing vegetables from around the world and shares their stories. PETALUMA GOLD RUSH BEAN - Brought to the United States from Peru by an American whaler who jumped ship. LUMPER POTATO - The infamous potato that failed in Ireland and caused the great Irish famine - still grown and eaten today. VICTORIA RHUBARB - Named after Queen Victoria, it's one of the heaviest-producing rhubarbs. LITTLE NUBIAN PEPPER - An old Jamaican pepper known as the Sore Throat pepper, believed to soothe a sore throat when infused with rum and used as a gargle.

William Woys Weaver is an organic gardener, food historian, and author of eight books--including Heirloom Vegetable Gardening and Pennsylvania Dutch Country Cooking, both of which received Julia Child awards for food reference. He and his kitchen garden have been the subject of articles in the New York Times, Country Home, the Chicago Tribune, and Food Arts. He lives in Devon, Pennsylvania, where he maintains an 1830s-style garden, featuring some three thousand varieties of heirloom vegetables, flowers, and herbs.

Aji Dulce Pepper [Venezuela] Botanical name: Capsicum chinense Family: Solanaceae Aji is the South American word for pepper. Dulce means "sweet" but aji dulce (pronounced AH-hee DOOL-say) possesses two broader meanings, for it is both a variety and a type of pepper. On the one hand, aji dulce can be any one of a number of sweet peppers, and depending on the country where one lives the word may be used interchangeably with aji morr??n, morr??n, aji colorado dulce, and many other regional variations. This can make reading South American cookbooks a challenge, even for Spanish-speaking readers. However, in Venezuela, aji dulce means only one thing. It is a native variety of Capsicum chinense that is closely related to the so-called habaero peppers now scattered throughout the Caribbean, but sans the infamous heat. For those who are tired of hot pepper overkill and the sensation of fiery lava flowing through the body, aji dulce comes to the rescue. Best of all, it possesses that unique smoky flavor found in its hottest cousins. The history of this pepper is obscure, but since wild peppers are naturally hot this variety must have developed as a landrace over the years among farmers by simple selection of seed from milder and milder fruits. Landrace is a term commonly employed to describe noncommercial or "backyard" varieties that have been under cultivation for a very long time. They are the real ingredients of peasant cookery and often provide regional cookeries with their distinctive flavors. In Venezuela, aji dulce is now one of the cornerstones of the national cuisine, and seed is available from a number of firms here in the United States. The fruit of aji dulce can be used green or ripe, and it can be seeded and frozen for use over the winter, a technique that also preserves its rich flavor much better than drying. The Venezuelans commonly use aji dulce in preparing hallacas, a mixture of meat, peppers, raisins, almonds, capers, olives, and yellow cornmeal that is steamed or boiled in plantain leaves. This rich and delicious dish is normally served at Christmas. Hallacas flavored with aji dulce made its debut in North America at the 1939 New York World's Fair, and like the apricot tomato it proved wildly popular. I employ the pepper to flavor a hearty Paraguayan dish called sooyosopig or sopa paraguaya. It is made by stewing chopped meat, chopped onions, chopped peppers, and chopped tomatoes in water. Rice is added to thicken it. Similar rice-and-meat stews are made in other parts of South America, but none of them attain the wonderful character of sooyosopig made with Venezuelan aj??es dulces. All of the chinense species of pepper are slow growing, and many of them prefer semishade. Gardeners who want to grow large quantities of aji dulce, or just one in a pot for occasional eating, will do themselves a huge favor by digging up the peppers in the fall, pruning them severely, and then overwintering them in a cool, dry environment.