The latest, and most expansive, tome from the team at Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Devon, England–based River Cottage cooking school and restaurants is an alphabetical guide to some of their most commonly used ingredients, with accompanying recipes.
With more than three hundred entries covering vegetables, fruits, herbs, spices, meat, fish, fungi, foraged foods, pulses, grains, dairy, oils and vinegars, the River Cottage A to Z is a compendium of all the ingredients the resourceful modern cook might want to use in their kitchen.
There are recipes for all seasons: wild garlic fritters in spring; cherry, thyme and marzipan muffins for summer; an autumnal salad of venison, apple, celeriac and hazelnuts; a hearty winter warmer of ale-braised ox cheeks with parsnips.
With more than 350 recipes, and brimming with advice, this is an essential guide to cooking, eating and living well. More than anything, the River Cottage A to Z is a celebration of the amazing spectrum of produce that surrounds us.
River Cottage A to Z: Our Favourite Ingredients, & How to Cook Them, is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.
Cheddar, apple and celeriac salad
This crunchy salad is the perfect way to show off a good, strong mature Cheddar.
Serves 4
8–10 Brussels sprouts or ⅛ medium white or red cabbage
¼ head of celeriac (175–200g)
2 eating apples, such as Russets
200g mature Cheddar
A handful of lightly bashed walnuts or pumpkin seeds
For the dressing
1 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
2 tsp clear honey
Sea salt and black pepper
Peel away any damaged or rough outer leaves from the sprouts or cabbage, then cut into 2mm slices. Place in a large bowl.
Peel the celeriac and cut it into thin matchsticks, using a sharp knife or mandoline. Add to the sprouts or cabbage.
Quarter and core the apples and cut into slim wedges. Add these to the bowl too. Crumble the Cheddar, or cut it into rough cubes, and add to the salad along with the walnuts or pumpkin seeds.
For the dressing, whisk the ingredients or shake together in a screw-topped jar and add to the salad. Toss to combine, check the seasoning, and it’s ready to serve.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Bloomsbury Publishing.
