Mediterranean Harvest: Vegetarian Recipes from the World's Healthiest Cuisine

If you are a recent convert to vegetarianism, you will find this a fairly comprehensive introduction to the Mediterranean style of cooking adapted for the cruelty-free kitchen. On the other hand, if you are like me and have been vegetarian for a while, you probably don't need any more recipes for hummus, pasta with tomato sauce, polenta, tabbouleh or bean soup. To be fair, I haven't tried any of the more basic dishes, but given Shulman's gourmet approach they are probably close to the best of their kind. And she often gives them a bit of a flavor twist to freshen them up.The recipes come from all around the Med: Spain, Southern France, Italy, Greece, the Middle East and North Africa. My favorite so far is Turkish Hummus which is made with yogurt instead of tahini. This makes it much lower calorie and also lets the flavors of the other ingredients (chickpeas, lemon, garlic) really shine. I also love some of the interesting vegetable combinations such as Spicy Vegetable Stew with Swiss Chard, Favas and Potatoes, and the Arab Eggplant, Tomato and Chickpea Casserole. Most are pretty simple to throw together, but an extra touch of herbs and spices takes them to the next level. What are not simple to make are the savory pies that occupy almost an entire chapter. I've tried using phyllo dough and it is a major pain in the a**, no matter what anyone tells you. I concluded long ago that some things are best left to the professionals.Another thing I really like about this cookbook is that there is a separate index where the recipes are organized by country. So if you are in the mood to try, say, a Greek feast, you can see at a glance all the Greek recipes in the book.All in all, I will be returning to this cookbook often. It's going on the "favorites" shelf in my cookbook library.

Martha Rose Shulman's Mediterranean Harvest owes a large debt to many who have gone before her, including Diane Kochilas, noted expert on Greek cuisine, and Clifford Wright, James Beard award-winning Mediterranean cookbook author. Shulman is quick to give credit where credit is due, and borrows widely from other culinary experts such as Carol Field ( The Italian Baker ) in areas of local expertise.With a glut of Mediterranean vegetarian cookbooks on the shelves such as  The Greek Vegetarian: More Than 100 Recipes Inspired by the Traditional Dishes and Flavors of Greece  (Diane Kochilas),  Olive Trees and Honey: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes from Jewish Communities Around the World  (Gil Marks), and The  The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen  and  Vegan Italiano: Meat-free, Egg-free, Dairy-free Dishes from Sun-Drenched Italy  by Donna Klein, why should you choose the pricey Mediterranean Harvest?One word: love. Shulman's love of local culture, hidden culinary gems, geography, and regional tastes, her lovely travelogues disguised as recipe introductions, and diary entries from memorable stops along her Mediterranean odyssey, both personal vacations and working in Mediterranean kitchens while researching other cookbooks such as  Provencal Light  and  Mediterranean Light: Delicious Recipes from the World's Healthiest Cuisine (Shulman is author of over 25 books). Also, she touches on some less-commonly-discussed cuisines such as Bosnia, Croatia, and Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, and North Africa (Morocco, Tunisia). There is also a handy index arranged by region.Shulman's rundown of kitchen equipment and the Mediterranean Pantry (spices, olives and olive oil, cheeses, yogurt, wine, herbs, spice blends, nuts and seeds) is a miracle of compactness, yet provides ample information for the home cook without overwhelming. After a brief section on aperitifs, the all-important topic of breads, pizza, and panini is covered first, since bread serves as the base for many common Mediterranean delicacies such as fattoush (Lebanese bread salad), panzanella (Italian tomato and bread salad), and Castilian garlic soup. Most households couldn't afford to waste stale bread (Tuscan bread was traditionally made without salt), so it was given new life as a base for soups, strata, and vegetable salads (the juices would soften the bread).The list of sauces and dressings includes such favorites as Salsa Romesco from Spain (almonds, bread, spices, and tomatoes), aioli (garlic mayonnaise) several variations of Italian pesto (basil, olive oil, cheese, and nuts), and yogurt-based sauces common in Greece and the Middle East (tzatziki, skordalia, tahini dressing, chermoula, harissa, and preserved lemons). Tapas / meze (finger food) are given a respectable spread befitting their social importance in the Mediterranean, including Tunisian carrot salad, tabbouleh, several variations of marinated cold veggies, hummus, bean and legume salads, and greens.The eggs and cheese section captured my heart from its introduction; Shulman recalls a Velazquez painting from 1618 of an old woman cooking eggs, with the simple garnish of onion and olive oil, melon, and wine. Such staples as frittata, Spanish tortilla, omelets, strata, and several varieties of scrambled eggs delight, along with a recipe for homemade ricotta cheese.The "small catalogue of pasta" (if this is the small catalogue, I'd love to see the large one!) is a chef's dream, and there are numerous sidebars to aid you in properly cooking pasta, making homemade pasta dough, and shaping homemade ravioli and garganelli.The rest of the book is dedicated to savory pies, gratins, vegetables and beans (stews, sauteed/ pan-fried veggies, potatoes), rice, couscous, and grains (risotto, polenta, pilaf) and topped off on a sweet note with sweets and desserts (biscotti, clafouti, granitas, fruit compotes, ricotta cheesecake, baklava, and dessert couscous). A brief page of online resources for Mediterranean ingredients is included, as well as a select bibliography. Thankfully, sidebars are also included in the index as they are numerous and enlightening.Overall, this may be the most complete look at Mediterranean cuisine that I've had the pleasure to read, vegetarian or not. Shulman's obvious respect and love for the region and its varied, healthful cuisine shines through every page, and her down-to-earth instructions and informative sidebars add to the experience. The visual design is simple and uncluttered (no photos or line drawings), with the focus appropriately on the magical recipes that transport you around the globe. The recipes are generally straightforward and simple, take advantage of fresh produce (although some shortcuts such as canned tomatoes and canned beans are used), and are delicious. If you're looking for one cookbook that combines the charms of Italian, French, Spanish, Greek, and Middle Eastern cuisine along with delightful commentaries on local culture and dining, Mediterranean Harvest is the book for you.

okay, i've had this book for many years, and i came back here to write a review because i keep coming back to it, again and again! it is, admittedly, right up my alley (don't eat meat, love mediterranean food), but i would definitely recommend it to anyone who cooks at home and wants delicious flavor profiles without necessarily getting super fancy or complicated, unless you want to.first off, when speaking of the mediterranean, a lot of people go straight to greece and italy. not here: she covers the whole region: from spain to croatia, turkey, the middle east, and all of north africa. almost all of the recipes have a little personal anecdote about how she came across it, and more often than not, it was while she was traveling in these countries.also, this book is prolific: i have no idea how many actual recipes are in it, but the index is 17 pages long. under the heading "asparagus", she has 11 different preparations. "chick peas": 19. you want to make risotto? well, be prepared to select one of 18 recipes. and get ready for eggplant, there are 46 (46!) different recipes. one of the reasons i love this book so much is that whatever you come home with from the farmer's market, you can find several different dishes that sound amazing, and the other ingredients are easy to obtain. it is as complicated as you want to be: this is a cookbook for busy weeknights, for long-rising bread adventures, for exploring fiddly traditional meals (if that's your thing), and for entertaining. martha is my kind of gal!as far as ingredients go, pretty much everything is fairly easy to come by. there are a couple of spices that you might need to seek out (saffron, sumac, za'atar, harissa), but nothing crazy, and it usually can be purchased online.some of my most favorite recipes that are on a regular rotation are:~ baked lima beans with honey and dill. omg! i make this ALL the time, it's so good.~ grape leaves stuffed with rice, onions and herbs or "dolmades". (okay, these do take some time, but they're AmAzing)~ the simply named "carrot salad" from tunisia. it's... ridiculously tasty.~ cauliflower gratin with feta and olives. just eat this amazingness.~ stewed eggplant and onions. so simple, and so succulent.~ marinated mushrooms. delicious.this is a user's cookbook, not a coffee-table showstopper. there are no photographs, which i know is a deal-breaker for some people, and the pages are matte (perfect for note-taking!).i've read a bunch of reviews that say that this book is not vegetarian. IT IS. however, she sometimes will give you the option of using chicken stock, pancetta, anchovies etc., and always with the pretext of explaining what is traditional for the dish. as a long-time vegetarian, i find this inclusive and informative, rather than off-putting. none, i repeat, none of the recipes require meat.all in all, this is a book that i've been using in my kitchen for at least eight years, and the only criticism i can think of is that sometimes, on occasion, it can be more simple/basic than i might want. for ME. but, at the same time, that's what makes it so versatile and usable for all cooks.vegetarian or not, this is a cookbook that would be at home on anyone's shelf who appreciates food from this region.three cheers for mediterranean harvest!edited to add: i have the hardcover edition from 2007, not sure why i can't change that info.

This is an excellent vegetarian recipe book. The recipes are interesting and tasty. Be warned - for those of you who like pictures in your recipe books, there aren't any.

I first saw Shulman when I was looking at Craftsy courses online. She teaches a couple of cooking classes and I took a look at one of them. I was so impressed by her, I googled her and found out about her extensive culinary background. Then I decided to buy this book since I'm a vegetarian. Well, my gosh, I was so impressed. I went through the book at Christmas as well and made a number of the recipes for our family gathering. I want to make everything eventually! Excellent book

I have used this cookery book for a few years,always without disappointment. My two daughters,for whom I bought copies, rave about it also. The recipes come from all the countries that ring the Mediterranean, including Turkey, North African, Balkan and Middle Eastern countries. As the publisher's blurb states, 'the world's healthiest cuisine.' All of the many recipes that I have tried are flavourful as well as nutritious, For instance even the most stubborn brassicaceaphobes will enjoy the Balkan potato, cabbage and kale gratin.

I loved this book. Lots of ideas for using vegetables and the bread recipes all turn out excellent. I never want to buy bread again,

"Mediterranean Harvest" presents interesting variations representative of a multitude of Mediterranean cultures. Not strictly for the vegetarian cook, with a little imagination, many of the recipes are readily adaptable for the addition of meat, poultry or fish. An excellent addition to the food lovers library.