Nigel Slater is a multi-award winning author, writer, and broadcaster, and Greenfeast (cookbook) is his two-part compilation of seasonal, no-frills plant-based recipes. Greenfeast is presented in a book format.
About Nigel Slater
In a career that has already spanned three decades, these publications and A Cook’s Book represent some of the most recent output in his body of work. It is a monument to his excellence and longevity that my parents cooked from his books, as do I now, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if my children did the same in another thirty years. His job is to maintain a steady and soothing presence in the kitchen, which is the gastronomic equivalent of giving your mother a call or putting on your most comfortable sweater. He also looks a lot like my friend’s dad, so maybe that’s why I feel like I’ve known him longer than other people.
Volume 1: GreenFeast – Spring, Summer
The first volume, Spring, Summer, comprises recipes that are lighter for lighter nights. These recipes are the type that is easy to throw together and are perfect for eating on a picnic blanket while complaining about how hot it is. The second collection of recipes, titled Autumn and Winter, contains heartier and more fulfilling dishes. These dishes make you want to shut the curtains, set the pot to simmer, and yearn for the days when you can complain about how hot it is. Both books are broken up into hazy sections such as “In a Bowl,” “On a Plate,” and “With a Ladle,” the last of which should not be used to eat with but rather to serve food. The recipes are easy to follow, can be done in a casual setting, and produce delicious results regardless of what you choose to eat them with.
Why MUST You Read Greenfeast?
If you want to quickly take a few items, mix them together with a handful of this and a dollop of that, and come up with something wonderful to eat, you might consider purchasing Greenfeast. A wide variety of dishes are available, such as broths, stir-fries, and curries, as well as salads, kinds of pasta, stews, burgers, and more. Some of them are outstanding despite their seeming lack of complexity, such as the mushrooms on toast served with a pea, herb, and lemon puree from the Spring and Summer menu and the orzo served with smoked mozzarella and thyme from the Autumn and Winter menu. However, the majority of recipes are for the straightforward, satisfying fare.
Nigel Slater Recipes
The dishes aubergine, chilli, and soy; shiitake, coconut, and soba noodles; and fettuccine with samphire and lemon are among the highlights of the spring and summer seasons. Recipes from the Autumn and Winter seasons include beets with sauerkraut and dill, curry made with sweet potato, cashew nuts, and coconut, and milk with mushrooms and rice. The writing is excellent; you can thank Nigel Slater for that. It manages to be descriptive, friendly, and approachable all at the same time. You get the idea that he would make you something similar to this if you stopped over for some tea and waited nicely for him to return from the garden with some additional wide beans to add to the lasagne.
Bottom Line
The seasonal approach to cooking is a wonderful concept in theory, but given that we only experience summer for about three days out of the year in this nation, the vast majority of recipes can be adapted to be used at any time of the year. If you could only acquire one, I would recommend Autumn or Winter because they have the most varied and intriguing recipes; nevertheless, either one would be a wonderful addition to your cookbook collection for the next thirty years or more.
Feature image: Usefulchefs
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