Heritage Fruits & Vegetables - Tapa dura

'Superb photography ... a timely and informative celebration of the sheer diversity of heritage varieties ... beautifully designed and produced' - Four Shires Magazine 'Sumptuous images and quirky historical details ... one for the seasoned cook, allotment potterer or frequenter of farmers' markets' - Homes & Interiors

A sumptuous celebration in words and photographs of the fascinating riches of heritage fruits and vegetables. Published in collaboration with the Royal Horticultural Society and presented by season for growers and seasonally minded cooks, this book introduces heritage fruits and vegetables in entertaining stories and beautifully composed photographs that highlight all the unusual colours, shapes and textures of heritage varieties in a painterly way. It offers full descriptions of each type of fruit and vegetable and includes stories about their origins, development, the reception they received upon introduction to various countries, as well as the folklore associated with them. No one interested in food, plant cultivation or history will fail to be captivated by this glorious tribute to the food we so often take for granted.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Raymond Blanc; Preface; Introduction: Fruit and Vegetable Cultivation through the Ages; Spring – Asparagus; Cauliflower; Kohlrabi; Potato. Summer – Apricot; Cherry; Citrus (orange, lemon, lime, citron); Currants (black, white and red); Gooseberry; Hothouse Fruit (peach and nectarine); Fig; Mulberry; Raspberry; Strawberry; Alliums (onion, shallot, garlic); Beans (broad, french, runner); Beetroot; Carrot; Cucurbits (cucumber, marrow and courgette); Florence Fennel; Globe Artichoke; Pea; Radish; Rhubarb; Salads (lettuce, alexanders and purslane); Spinach; Tomato. Autumn – Apple; Blackberry; Medlar; Nuts (almond, cob nut and filbert, chestnut, walnut); Pear; Plum (bullace and damson, gage, mirabelle); Quince; Celery and Celeriac; Chard; Pumpkin and Squash; Solonaceae (aubergine, chilli and sweet pepper); Sweetcorn; Turnip. Winter – Hothouse Exotics (grape, pineapple, muskmelon); Winter brassicas (broccoli, Brussels sprout, cabbage, kale); Chicory; Leek; Parsnip; Salsify and Scorzonera; Tubers (Jerusalem artichoke, oca) · Useful Addresses: Organizations, Suppliers and Gardens to Visit