Vegetable (Williams-Sonoma Collection)

A medley of spring mushrooms roasted with garlic and pine nuts. Grilled summer corn on the cob with chile-lime butter. Sautéed shallots in a velvety red wine sauce. What compares to the flavor of seasonal vegetables picked and cooked at their peak of ripeness?

Williams-Sonoma Collection Vegetable offers more than 40 recipes, organized by season to assist you in selecting the perfect vegetable dishes to serve year-round. Whether you are in search of a delicious way to make fava beans in the springtime or need a savory preparation for carrots when cold weather arrives, in these pages you'll find a recipe that brings out the best in vegetables for any occasion. A chapter of hearty main dishes will inspire you to make vegetables the star of your dinner table, while a selection of classics — including a delightfully rich potato gratin — completes the collection.

Full-color photographs of each recipe make it easy to choose which to prepare, and each dish is accompanied by a photographic side note that highlights a cooking technique or ingredient, making Vegetable more than a simple collection of recipes. A comprehensive basics section and glossary fill in all you need to know to create an enticing combination of flavors, textures, and colors the next time you prepare vegetables.

Fresh, crisp, and bursting with color and flavor, vegetables embody the changing of the seasons more than any other food. From tender spring peas to rich, creamy-textured winter squash, we look forward to their arrival in the market year after year.

Williams-Sonoma Collection Vegetable offers more than 40 delicious recipes, including both the classics and fresh new ideas. In these pages, you'll find versatile vegetable dishes for every season and every occasion — from a late summer lunch to a midwinter dinner party. This vibrantly photographed, full-color recipe collection promises to become an essential addition to your kitchen bookshelf.

Marlena Spieler is a well-known cookbook author, food writer, and broadcaster. Her many cookbooks include Peppers, Peppers, Peppers; the best-selling Classic Barbecue and Grill Cookbook; and the award-winning Feeding Friends. In addition to writing a column in the San Francisco Chronicle food section, she also contributes to Bon Appétit and other magazines. Ms. Spieler lives in England.