Sunday's media madness...

Some of you are lucky enough to live in areas where you have started planting already, up in the north we need to wait until at least Memorial day, and sometimes even that is pushing it a little.  Today I thought I would showcase a group of books to help you get the most from your garden and local Farmers Markets.

The first book is The Vegetable Gardener's Bible (10th Anniversary Edition) by Edward C. Smith.  This books focuses on getting the most out of your garden using a method he calls W-O-R-D which stands for Wide rows, Organic methods, Raised beds, and Deep soil.  The author looks at individual growing, harvesting, and best varieties of a large number of both common and more exotic vegetables and herbs.  The book features great photographs and an in depth A-Z section where you can find all the information you need for a great and bountiful vegetable garden of your own.  I was able to find the new paperback book at its lowest price at Go Hastings for $17.06 with free shipping.  If you have a Kindle you can download it for $9.48 from Amazon.

The next book is Grow the Good Life: Why a Vegetable Garden Will Make You Happy, Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise by Michele Owens.  From the Amazon product description: "With her wry, funny, and accessible approach, Owens helps beginning gardeners overcome obstacles that keep them from planting a few seedlings every spring. She explains why dirt isn't dirty; the health benefits of growing one’s own food; and that vegetable gardens are not antithetical to the frantic pace of modern life, but simple and undemanding if intelligently managed.  Grow the Good Life is not just another how-to. Instead, it will teach you the true fundamentals of vegetable growing: how to fit a garden into your life and why it’s worth the trouble."  I was able to find this book for the lowest price at Book Depository for $15.99 with free shipping.  Amazon also has this in the Kindle version for $9.99.
To go with these two great books I found because no matter how much you plant, the local Farmers Markets always have great stuff you either didn't plant yourself, didn't plant enough of or isn't ripe in your garden yet, they are a great way to fill in what you need while supporting your local growers.

This first book is Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers' Markets by Deborah Madison.  One of the Editorial reviews: "The book offers chapters deftly arranged by fruit and vegetable families as they appear in the markets, such as "The Vegetable Fruits of Summer: Eggplants, Tomatoes, and Peppers" and "A Cool Weather Miscellany," which includes recipes such as Sautéed Artichokes with Potatoes and Garlic Chives and a marvelous "essence-of" soup, Elixir of Fresh Peas. Madison also treats unfamiliar fruits and vegetables, presenting the likes of lamb quarters in a soup made with Sonoma Teleme cheese, and sugar loaf chicory simply grilled and dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Recipes for delightful salads like Melon Salad with Thai Basil also appear, as do a selection of pastas and risotto, such as Winter Squash Risotto with Seared Radicchio, and sweets like White Peaches in Lemon Verbena Syrup and Date, Dried Cherry, and Chocolate Nut Torte. With sidebars like Atlanta's All-Organic Market: Late October and color photos throughout of vendors, produce, and many of the dishes, the book offers the perfect match of Madison and the markets. --Arthur Boehm"   I was able to find this paperback book at its lowest price from Go Hastings for $17.78 with free shipping.

The last book is Fresh from the Farmers' Market: Year-Round Recipes for the Pick of the Crop by Janet Fletcher.  With more than 75 fresh recipes and big color photographs, this book makes the most of what is in season with each soup, salad, entree, and dessert.  "Janet Fletcher guides shoppers through the market, sharing tips on selection and storage as well as advice from the farmers themselves, so readers can turn peak-season produce into delicious eating, year-round."  I was able to find this paperback book at Book Depository for $16.21 with free shipping world wide.

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend and remember to enter my Pizza giveaway, the entries are VERY low so you have a great chance to win a free pizza and bamboo cutting board from Freschetta.

C.Q.