Reviews for 100 Vegetables and Where They Came From

The average rating for 100 Vegetables and Where They Came From based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2018-10-18 00:00:00 Randy Wilcox If you enjoy searching out unusual heirloom varieties -- and reading about the stories that come by way of food -- then you'll enjoy this one from William Woys Weaver. ----- The town of Petaluma, in Sonoma County, Calif., can claim not one but two rare breeds. Not only does the almost mythical hound dog known as the Petaluma Chicken Dog originate there but also the Petaluma Gold Rush Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), a rugged baking bean that first hit the San Francisco market in the 1840s and has been grown by the Azevedo family of Petaluma for over 150 years. Now that�s an heirloom �Petaluma: Home of the Gold Rush Bean�: Don�t expect to see that emblazoned on the side of a water tower or grain elevator anytime soon, but really, it�s no small claim to fame. Heirloom vegetables, considered varieties that have been in cultivation for 50 years or more, have become increasingly popular with gardeners, gourmets and gourmands � anyone who appreciates fresh, flavorful and interesting veggies. The flavors and variety of the ages are contained in the genes of these rare breeds. Today many plants have been fine-tuned by breeders to emphasize characteristics such as uniform size, synchronized ripening and durability in shipping � but in the process the richness of the plant is lost. The older varieties, largely out of commercial production, have managed to retain their unique flavors, special texture or sometimes off-beat appearance over the years. And, like Mel Brooks� 10,000-year-old man, these old varieties have stories to tell. Many of their stories are told in an inspiring little book by William Woys Weaver titled �100 Vegetables and Where They Came From� (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2000). A plant historian and gardener extraordinaire, Weaver has traveled the world in search of unusual vegetables. His own seed collection has grown to about 3,000 varieties, many of which are available from Seed Savers Exchange�

Review # 2 was written on 2016-08-15 00:00:00 Jesse MacDonald The title pretty much says it all; the book tells us about 100 vegetables, what they taste like, where they are from, and how they are prepared. What the title doesn�t tell us is that these vegetables are special; they are some of the tastiest plants on the planet. Consider golden corn salad from Italy, whose large leaves make a salad beautiful; or the Petaluma Gold Rush bean, which when used dried keeps a marvelous meaty taste and texture. The Re Umberto tomato is a paste tomato that is incredibly productive and has an unmatched flavor. Some plants are included mainly because they are different and pretty, but most are included because of flavor. Being both gardener and foodie, I found myself looking up seed sources and bookmarking them numerous times while reading. The prose is chatty and an easy, fast read. Nice line drawings illustrate the veggies. My only problem with the book is that an awful lot of these wonderful plants won�t grow in my short season area!