Six Seasons - A New Way with Vegetables

“Never before have I seen so many fascinating, delicious, easy recipes in one book. . . . [Six Seasons is] about as close to a perfect cookbook as I have seen . . . a book beginner and seasoned cooks alike will reach for repeatedly.”

- Lucky Peach

The debut cookbook from Joshua McFadden, a chef with the soul of a farmer and the palate of a visionary

Joshua McFadden, chef and owner of renowned trattoria Ava Gene’s in Portland, Oregon, is a vegetable whisperer. After years racking up culinary cred at New York City restaurants like Lupa, Momofuku, and Blue Hill, he managed the trailblazing Four Season Farm in coastal Maine, where he developed an appreciation for every part of the plant and learned to coax the best from vegetables at each stage of their lives.

In Six Seasons, McFadden channels both farmer and chef, highlighting the evolving attributes of vegetables throughout their growing seasons an arc from spring to early summer to midsummer to the bursting harvest of late summer, then ebbing into autumn and, finally, the earthy, mellow sweetness of winter. Each chapter begins with recipes featuring raw vegetables at the start of their season. As weeks progress, McFadden turns up the heat grilling and steaming, then moving on to sautés, pan roasts, braises, and stews. His ingenuity is on display in 225 revelatory recipes that celebrate flavor at its peak.

Published on: 2017-05-02

Original language: English

Dimensions: 10.50" h x 8.00" w x 1.50" l, .0 pounds

Binding: Hardcover

384 pages

Review 

“A great book. Period. . . . Never before have I seen so many fascinating, delicious, easy recipes in one book. . . . In fact, it’s about as close to a perfect cookbook as I have seen. What McFadden and Holmberg have achieved is no small feat: This is a book that will educate nearly everyone who picks it up, a book beginner and seasoned cooks alike will reach for repeatedly. It’s the rare book that achieves what it sets out to do, and manages to do so in a manner that is both appetizing and engaging. It is accessible without sacrificing its artistry.”

- Lucky Peach

 

“Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables is poised to join the veggie canon. . . . The flavors are big. . . . They’re also layered and complex, despite their apparent simplicity. What will really change your cooking is [McFadden’s] approach to seasoning. . . . Trust me: Read this book and you’ll never look at cabbage the same way again.”

- Bon Appétit, 11 Spring Cookbooks You’ll Actually Cook From

“Stellar mix-and-match recipes that highlight produce at its gorgeous peak.”

- Food & Wine

“A must-have cookbook that stands out from the crowd of vegetable-centric cookbooks. . . . This cookbook deserves to become a well-thumbed, vital addition to any kitchen.”

- Publishers Weekly, starred review

 

“Essential techniques that can help cooks become better at preparing seasonal and local vegetables. . . . Attractive vegetable recipes range from brightly colored raw and cooked salads to indulgent appetizers, pastas, and baked goods. Under McFadden’s tutelage, cooks will learn how to bring out the best in every humble vegetable.”

- Library Journal, starred review

 

“McFadden’s debut cookbook is an invaluable resource for all things veggie.”

- Booklist, starred review

 

“This cookbook might put meat out of business. It’s that good. . . . A rare source of new ideas about vegetables. McFadden’s forward-looking sensibility infuses every recipe.”

- Portland Monthly

“Downright thrilling. . . . Divided into six seasons rather than the traditional four a more accurate reflection of what’s happening in the fields the book encourages readers to embrace what he calls ‘the joyful ride of eating with the seasons. . . .’ On page after page, McFadden presents a deliciously enlightening way of cooking with vegetables.”

- Sunset

 

“This is not a cookbook for coffee tables or artfully curated bookshelves! Its recipes demand to be tasted until the pages are dog-eared and sauce-splattered and stick together. Compulsory for the home cook.”

- Dan Barber, chef/co-owner of Blue Hill

 

“Joshua McFadden has the soul of a farmer, and his recipes are beautifully in tune with the seasons and the land.”

- Alice Waters, owner of Chez Panisse

 

“Joshua [understands] vegetables from the perspective of both a farmer and chef. His mouthwatering and terrific solutions . . . get the most out of vegetables from their beginning to their last act on our plates.”

- David Chang, chef/owner of Momofuku

 

“We always knew Joshua was a vegetable magician, but this is so much more. We learned something new on every page. Six Seasons is a brilliant cookbook.”

- Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman, cofounders of Four Season Farm

About the Author 

Joshua McFadden is executive chef/owner of Portland, Oregon’s Ava Gene’s, which Bon Appétit has named a “Top 10 Best New Restaurant.” Before moving to Portland, McFadden helped define the burgeoning Brooklyn food scene when he was chef de cuisine at Franny’s; his other restaurant experience includes Momofuku, Blue Hill, and Lupa in New York and the groundbreaking raw food restaurant Roxanne’s in Larkspur, California. McFadden also spent time in Rome, cooking at Alice Waters’s project in sustainable dining at the American Academy. He kindled his love of soil, seeds, and seasons during two years as farm manager at Maine’s Four Season Farm, founded by sustainability pioneers Eliot Coleman and Barbara Damrosch. McFadden’s latest restaurant, Tusk, opened in Portland, Oregon in 2016.