Fresh Pantry: Eat Seasonally, Cook Smart & Learn to Love Your Vegetables

Amy Pennington’s bestselling book, Urban Pantry: Tips & Recipes for a Thrifty, Sustainable & Seasonal Kitchen, introduced new homemakers to clever cooking concepts and ingredients, provided experienced cooks with organizational inspiration, and helped cooks of all skill levels create sustainable and thrifty kitchens. But while Urban Pantry focused on shelf-stable, dried, or preserved goods, Fresh Pantry shows cooks how to eat a seasonal diet —fresh vegetables and fruits that will offer your palate a variety of foods in sync with the seasons.

As anyone trying to eat locally all year long knows, the winter gets difficult: Walking the “local” aisles of a well-stocked produce section or around your neighborhood farmers market, you find few options — onions, cabbage, and kale, oh my! In summer, of course, the season is bountiful, but the dishes most people make at home tend to be one note — how many times can we eat the same tomato-caprice salad or grilled zucchini?

From January to December, Fresh Pantry features 120 creative yet healthy and doable recipes centered on 12 choice seasonal vegetables and fruits; accessible and clever advice on growing, storing, and using seasonal ingredients; lush and inspirational photographs; detailed resources for sustainable eating; and the exuberant energy that marked Pennington’s first book.