Photo Credit: Dan Hemmelgarn

Turn on the stove, as well as your taste buds, with Simply in Season.

As a card-carrying kitchen gardener and nutritionist, I keep Simply in Season within easy reach. And here’s why: Sweet Potato Crescent Rolls, Apple Spice Waffles, Maple-Glazed Parsnips and Black Walnut Cake.

Need I say more?

These are just a few of the mouthwatering recipes included under the “Winter” section in this 352-page seasonal cookbook commissioned by the Mennonite Central Committee. But there are many more!

Authors Mary Beth Lind, a registered dietitian and farmers’ market gardener from West Virginia, and Cathleen Hockman-Wert, a journalist and avid farmers’ market shopper from Oregon, help readers appreciate – and celebrate – simple, delicious, garden-fresh food one season at a time.

In the book, the authors explain how “each food purchase we make is like a vote for the way we want food to be produced – and for the world in which we want to live.”

However, make no mistake – Simply in Season is practical, not preachy. Its down-to-earth recipes and colorful illustrations are useful to everyone, regardless of faith…or cooking skills.

For example, starting with an A-to-Z fruit and vegetable guide, the book gives us sound advice on selecting, storing and preparing produce to deliver the most nutrients and best taste possible.

Say you’re clueless about rutabagas. No worries. The guide describes the taste of this root vegetable (sweeter than turnips but not as peppery), as well as how to select them (choose ones that are firm, smooth-skinned and heavy for their size). Preparation options include boiling, microwaving and roasting – the latter especially if you want the sweetest flavor. Nutritional content is provided, too (each rutabaga serving delivers vitamin C, plus potassium and fiber).