Taste of Home: Farm Fresh Favorites: Cook It, Can It, Freeze It

830 Pages·2016·28.41 MB·English

tasteofhome
A TASTE OF HOME/READER’S DIGEST BOOK
©2012 Reiman Media Group, LLC
5400 S. 60th St., Greendale WI 53129
All rights reserved.
Taste of Home and Reader’s Digest are registered trademarks of The Reader’s Digest Association,
Inc.
Editor-in-Chief: Catherine Cassidy Vice President, Executive Editor/Books: Heidi Reuter Lloyd
Creative Director: Howard Greenberg North American Chief Marketing Officer: Lisa Karpinski Food
Director: Diane Werner, RD
Senior Editor/Retail Books: Faithann Stoner Editor: Sara Rae Lancaster Associate Creative Director:
Edwin Robles Jr.
Art Director: Raeann Sundholm Content Production Manager: Julie Wagner Layout Designer: Kathy
Crawford Copy Chief: Deb Warlaumont Mulvey Copy Editor: Alysse Gear Recipe Asset System
Manager: Coleen Martin Recipe Testing & Editing: Taste of Home Test Kitchen Food Photography:
The Reader’s
Taste of Home Photo Studio Administrative Assistant: Barb Czysz
Digest Association, Inc.
President and Chief Executive Officer: Robert E. Guth President, North America: Dan Lagani
President/Publisher, Trade Publishing: Harold Clarke Associate Publisher: Rosanne McManus Vice
Reader’s Digest
President, Sales & Marketing: Stacey Ashton
“Cooking, Caring, Sharing” is a registered trademark of Reiman Media Group, LLC.
For other Taste of Home books and products, visit us at tasteofhome.com.
For more Reader’s Digest products and information, visit rd.com (in the United States) or see rd.ca
(in Canada).
International standard Book number
(10): 1-61765-024-2
International standard Book number
(13): 978-1-61765-024-6
Library of Congress Control Number: 2011940521
Cover Photography
Photographer: Lori Foy
Food Stylist: Shannon Roum
Set Stylist: Melissa Haberman
table of CONTENTS
Eating Fresh is Best
Farmers Market Primer
SPRING
Asparagus
Fennel
Fresh Herbs
Garlic
Greens & Lettuce
Leeks & Onions
Mushrooms
Peas
Rhubarb & Swiss Chard
EARLY TO MID-SUMMER
Beans
Berries
Cherries
Corn
Cucumbers
Kohlrabi
Peppers
LATE SUMMER TO FALL
Apples & Pears
Beets
Broccoli & Cauliflower
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cranberries
Eggplant
Honey
Peaches, Plums & Nectarines
Potatoes
Squash
Tomatoes
SAVOR THE SEASON:
Canning & Preserving Your Harvest
Canning Basics
Drying & Freezing
Jams, Jellies & Spreads
Pickles & Relishes
Chutneys, Salsas & Condiments
Sweet Treats & Beverages
Indexes
REFERENCE CHARTS, HOW TO’S AND GUIDES
Top Ten Herbs
Top 10 Heirloom Tomatoes
Tools of the Trade
Keys to Successful Canning
Seal the Deal: Canning Process
Leather Britches
Making Fragrant Firestarters
Drying Fresh Herbs
Making a Chili Ristra
Homemade Dried Fruit
At-a-Glance Guide
to Freezing Produce

eating fresh is BEST
Mom knew a thing or two when she said, “Eat your veggies.” And that old
saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”? There’s a kernel of truth
to that, too.
The nutritional benefits of fruits and veggies are no big secret. Why, then, do so
many turn up their noses at the mere sight of a plate of broccoli or eagerly
choose a candy bar over sun-ripened berries to calm a sweet tooth?
Because most people have never experienced the true flavor of a tomato or
delighted in the simple pleasure of a juicy plum picked straight from the tree.
But let’s face it. Growing an extensive vegetable garden and orchard doesn’t fit
the average backyard or schedule.
WHY “PICK” THE FARMERS MARKET?
As any regular farmers market shopper will tell you, the benefits of buying local
and eating with the seasons are without contest. First of all, the food tastes
better. At the farmers market, produce is usually harvested less than 24 hours
prior. Add to that the money-saving benefits, nutritional advantage and
community-building aspect, and it’s hard to imagine why someone wouldn’t eat
local. But where to begin?
Enter Taste of Home Farm Fresh Favorites. Think of this book as your
blueprint for eating locally, whether that be your local farmers market, roadside
stand or own backyard. Farm Fresh Favorites makes it easier than ever to
experience the simple pleasures of eating close to the source.
With a bounty of family-friendly and versatile recipes (336 to be exact, each
with a tempting full-color photo and handy section for cooking notes), Farm
Fresh Favorites guides the everyday cook through the seasons, explaining
what produce to look for and when, as well as how to prepare mouthwatering,
wholesome dishes using simple, honest ingredients. Food just doesn’t taste
better, it is better!
Four hefty chapters organized by season—Spring, Early to Mid-Summer,
Late Summer to Fall and Savor the Season—act as an easy-to-follow map for
eating seasonally, locally and, of course, deliciously.
Peppered throughout are 55+ tips to ensure every dish turns out just right, as
well as information on selecting and storing produce, handy reference charts,
a list of the country’s must-visit farmers markets and a comprehensive
chapter on canning and preserving the harvest.
At Taste of Home, we’re all about cooking, caring and sharing. What better
way to celebrate all three than with whole, fresh foods prepared in your
kitchen from ingredients that are picked at the peak of ripeness.
Whether you want to use your garden’s bounty, become a locavore for a week
(or for life) or simply eat better, Taste of Home Farm Fresh Favorites brings
you 336 seasonal dishes made from nature’s freshest ingredients.