A big, ripe cornucopia of a book by gardeners who cook and cooks who garden, Smith and HawkenThe Gardeners' Community Cookbook celebrates both the Smith and Hawken gardening community and Second Harvest, the largest charitable hunger relief organization in the United States. Over 300 contributors from all 50 states share the fruit and vegetables of their labors--the secrets of their tomatoes and their tomato sauce. There are herb growers. Patio gardeners. Farmers. And famous chef/gardeners and writers, such as Deborah Madison, Alice Waters, Barbara Kafka, Ken Hom, Paula Wolfert, Thomas Keller, and Barbara Damrosch, who forces Belgian endive in buckets under the kitchen sink during bitter Maine winters.

And what they offer are over 400 recipes that give a cross section of creative American garden cooking. Here are garden-to-table dishes: Spinach and Strawberry Salad; Mexican Bruschetta. Seasonal inspirations: Curried Zucchini Soup; Tortellini with Pumpkin Alfredo; Asparagus Mushroom Flan. Prime pickings: Chicken and Chives; New Mexico Chard Enchiladas. And harvest put-ups: Green Tomato Chutney; Sweet Red Bell Pepper Pickle.

Compiled and written by Victoria Wise, this is the cookbook to meet like-minded neighbors and friends you never knew you had, exchanging ideas and recipes just for the pleasure of it.

Good cooking comes from good growing. Good growing comes from loving the earth. And good dishes come from watching your pot as you do your plot. With this simple credo, the hundreds of gardener cooks whose work, stories, and wisdom are featured draw a fresh and delicious line from seed to table, inviting us all to enjoy the result.

A big, overflowing cornucopia of a book, Smith and Hawken Gardeners' Community Cookbook is a celebration of food by people who are passionate about it--like Rose Ann Koffler, a patio container gardener in West Hollywood, CA, with a penchant for herbs; Deborah Madison, who has redefined vegetarian cooking, even though her Santa Fe garden isn't large enough to grow "rambling vegetables"; Carol Cassedy, owner of the Whitestone Organic Farm in Bagdad, Kentucky, famous for its heirloom vegetables; and award-winning garden writer Barbara Damrosch, who forces Belgian endive in buckets under the kitchen sink during bitter Maine winters.

Joined together as a community through the Smith and Hawken ethic that working the soil is a life-enhancing pursuit, more than 300 contributors share the fruit and vegetables of their labors--the secrets of their tomatoes and their tomato sauce. Here are garden-to-table creations like Spinach and Strawberry Salad. Seasonal inspirations: Curried Zucchini Soup, Tortellini with Pumpkin Alfredo. Prime pickings: Flatiron Pot Roast with Pearl Onions, and Fava Beans with Chicken and Chives. And harvest put-ups: Green Tomato Chutney, Sweet Red Bell Pepper Pickle. In all, more than 400 recipes that give a cross section of creative American garden cooking.

Victoria Wise, alumnus of the Chez Panisse restaurant and co-founder of Oakland's Good and Plenty Caf, is a co-author of The Well-Filled Microwave Cookbook and Good and Plenty: America's New Home Cooking. Victoria also compiled and wrote the Smith and Hawken Gardeners' Community Cookbook. She lives in Oakland, CA.

STARTERS:

Appetizers and beverages with a spark from the garden

SALADS:

Fresh concoctions for all seasons

SOUPS:

Soothing garden goodness in a bowl

PASTA APLENTY:

Noodles with a floral finish

MAIN DISHES:

The garden path to a nourishing meal

VEGETABLE SIDES:

Seasonal borders for the Plate

SAUCES AND SALSAS:

A bouquet of ways to dress the meal

PANTRY PERKS:

Putting by the harvest

THE BAKERY:

Quick picks for any time of day

SWEETS:

Dulcet inspirations from garden gleanings