Staff Pick
Hugh Acheson's The Broad Fork is Southern cooking by way of the farmer's market. Short chapters are devoted to one fresh ingredient, like broad beans, prepared in several simple, elegant ways. These humble broad beans with tomatoes and fatback were a huge hit at our potluck and would be a worthy summer accompaniment to grilled fish or chicken, or (my favorite) ladled generously over a bowl of olive-oil smashed potatoes. Recommended By Rhianna W., Powells.com
The Broad Fork is from Southern chef Hugh Acheson — although he's actually Canadian. He followed his American wife to the South and fell in love with the food, so The Broad Fork has a touch of the American South in its recipes. Inspired by farmer's markets and community-supported agriculture boxes, he concentrates on recipes for the common and uncommon fruits and veggies likely to be landing in our kitchens this summer. (What do I do with green garlic, with a persimmon? What even is a ramp?) Each item of produce is given a number of recipes, which is extra helpful, as CSA boxes often come with an abundance of whatever is in season. Acheson's style is easygoing; I love a cookbook author who can claim to be imperfect and who is honest about having budget brand goods in their kitchen. (Jif, because his kids love it, and sliced American cheese because it's the best for melting on burgers.) Recommended By Tracey T., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
From James Beard Award winner Hugh Acheson comes a seasonal cookbook of 200 recipes designed to make the most of your farmers' market bounty, your CSA box, or your grocery produce aisle.
In The Broad Fork, Hugh narrates the four seasons of produce, inspired by the most-asked question at the market: "What the hell do I do with kohlrabi?" And so here are 50 ingredients — from kohlrabi to carrots, beets to Brussels sprouts — demystified or reintroduced to us through 200 recipes: three quick hits to get us excited and one more elaborate dish. For apples in the fall there's apple butter; snapper ceviche with apple and lime; and pork tenderloin and roasted apple. In the summer, Hugh explores uses for berries, offering recipes for blackberry vinegar, pickled blueberries, and raspberry cobbler with drop biscuits. Beautifully written, this book brings fresh produce to the center of your plate. It's what both your doctor and your grocery bill have been telling you to do, and Hugh gives us the knowledge and the inspiration to wrap ourselves around produce in new ways.
About the Author
Hugh Acheson is a James Beard Award-winning chef and partner of the restaurants Five & Ten, The National, and Empire South in Georgia. Acheson is also a guest judge on Bravo's Top Chef.