This is a rare cookbook, the kind to get excited about. It catalogues the cooking from seminal vegetarian restaurant, Greens, on the San Francisco Bay. First published twenty years ago, it came to be regarded as an American classic but has been out of print for many years. Now it has been revised and updated in this new British edition and is set to make a big impact on vegetarian cookery.
The philosophy behind Greens cuisine is one that is now much talked about – selecting the very finest, fresh seasonal ingredients and using local producers. However they are not following a food fad, they were one of the leaders of this Calafornian cooking movement in the late 70s and were championing organic produce before anyone else was doing it. Dishes in the restaurant are inspired by what is best on the local farm that day.

What makes this book special is that these elegant and creative recipes are all meat free. Every recipe is composed to celebrate vegetables in their own right with imaginative ideas and beautifully balanced layers of flavour. Fresh herbs, zesty lemons, aromatic spices and the warmth of saffron are used to give life to the cooking.

Not only vegetarians will be excited by the range covered in this book. There are over 260 recipes for all seasons and occasions, from bright simple salads to warming winter gratins. Try the Rosemary Linguine with Caramelised Onions and Walnuts or the Mangetout and Beetroot with Szechuan Pepper. Be inspired by Charcoal-Grilled Leeks, Mexican Vegetable Soup with Lime and Avocado or Blackberries with Rose Geranium Leaves.

To accompany the recipes, The Greens Cookbook has wine notes for matching with vegetables, detailed information about making perfect vegetarian stocks and glossaries of unusual ingredients and useful kitchen equipment. There are also a series of seasonal menus for different occasions that bring together dishes whose colours, textures and tastes complement each other in a lively way. They are set to impress with refined and sophisticated flavours that will have even carnivores hungry with anticipation.