Plant Profile: Cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata)
Karen This annual warm season herbaceous legume , also known as black-eye pea, southen pea, niebe, field pea, yardlong bean, and cowder pea, is probably native to west Africa where it…
Book Review: The Vegetables We Eat
Gail Gibbon’s book, The Vegetables We Eat, is both an introduction to the different kinds of vegetables and a mini botany lesson. Gibbons begins with the concepts of perennials and…
Book Review: Mostly Plants
Based on the concept of the flexitarian diet, Mostly Plants presents an approach to eating that shifts the ratio of food from animals to plants. This approach is very useful…
Plant Profile: Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus)
This Mediterranean native is a thistle-like tender perennial and a member of the Aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow, and artichoke. Plants form an impressive 3′ tall clump…
Growing Plants From Seed: Summer Squash (Cucurbita pepo)
The summer squash include patty pan, yellow crookneck, and zucchini. These squash will cross pollinate with other summer squash varieties but not with other squash species (for example winter squash…
Plant Profile: Mountain Spinach (Atriplex hortensis)
Also known as orache, this annual is a member of the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae, that also includes beets, quinoa, and lamb’s quarters. It is native to Asia and Euroe and…
Book Review: The Gardener’s Guide to Common-Sense Pest Control
The Gardener’s Guide to Common-Sense Pest Control explains the concepts and techniques of an environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that uses information on pest life cycles and their interaction…
Book Review: The Modern Cook’s Year
In her book The Modern Cook’s Year, Anna Jones presents more than 250 vegetarian recipes that demonstrate her sensitivity to the relationship between food and the seasons and further to…
Book Review: Vegetable Literacy
Rarely does a cookbook combine botanical and culinary information with recipes but Deborah Madison’s book, Vegetable Literacy, does it in spades. Drawing on her long experience as a gardener and…
Book Review: The 22 Day Revolution Cookbook
This cookbook by Marco Borges is a follow up to his book on a plant-based diet that he believes will lead to a healthier lifestyle, weight loss, and/or reduced risk…