Misunderstood Vegetables: How to Fall in Love with Sunchokes, Rutabaga, Eggplant and More

Go from “what the heck is this” to “how does it taste so good” in this celebration of misfit vegetables.

Maybe you just discovered celery root (a lumpy, softball-sized bulb), at the grocery store. Or perhaps you received watermelon radishes in a CSA package. Did a parsnip catch your eye at the farmers’ market? Even vegetables you think you know, like cabbage or brussels sprouts, will reveal next-level flavor with the right recipe. Becky Selengut has made it her mission to take less popular—or even outright scorned vegetables like beets and okra—and cook them into irresistible dishes. It’s all about knowing how to cook or serve them and what herbs and spices to incorporate. In Misunderstood Vegetables, Selengut highlights 25 vegetables, with recipes alongside history, step-by-step preparation, and storage tips. Organized by season, recipes include Feta and Citrus Salad, Charred Chard with Spicy Chile Oil, and Celery Root Gratin. A must-have for the plant-curious, this cookbook will have readers seeking out unusual and underused produce like never before.

About the Author

Becky Selengut is an author, instructor, speaker, and chef based in Seattle. She is the author of Shroom (Andrews & McMeel, 2014), Good Fish (Sasquatch, 2018), and How to Taste (Sasquatch, 2018). She has co-authored several books, including The Washington Local and Seasonal Cookbook and Not One Shrine: Two Food Writers Devour Tokyo. She also writes freelance article and develops recipes for local and national publications like Serious Eats, Eating Well, Marx Foods, and more. She is a staff instructor at The Pantry Cooking School in Ballard and the chef aboard the M/V Thea Foss.?