A medley of spring mushrooms roasted with garlic and pine nuts. Grilled summer corn on the cob with chile-lime butter. Sautéed shallots in a velvety red wine sauce. What compares to the flavor of seasonal vegetables picked and cooked at their peak of ripeness?

Williams-Sonoma Collection Vegetable offers more than 40 recipes, organized by season to assist you in selecting the perfect vegetable dishes to serve year-round. Whether you are in search of a delicious way to make fava beans in the springtime or need a savory preparation for carrots when cold weather arrives, in these pages you'll find a recipe that brings out the best in vegetables for any occasion. A chapter of hearty main dishes will inspire you to make vegetables the star of your dinner table, while a selection of classics -- including a delightfully rich potato gratin -- completes the collection.

Full-color photographs of each recipe make it easy to choose which to prepare, and each dish is accompanied by a photographic side note that highlights a cooking technique or ingredient, making Vegetable more than a simple collection of recipes. A comprehensive basics section and glossary fill in all you need to know to create an enticing combination of flavors, textures, and colors the next time you prepare vegetables.

Fresh, crisp, and bursting with color and flavor, vegetables embody the changing of the seasons more than any other food. From tender spring peas to rich, creamy-textured winter squash, we look forward to their arrival in the market year after year.

Williams-Sonoma Collection Vegetable offers more than 40 delicious recipes, including both the classics and fresh new ideas. In these pages, you'll find versatile vegetable dishes for every season and every occasion -- from a late summer lunch to a midwinter dinner party. This vibrantly photographed, full-color recipe collection promises to become an essential addition to your kitchen bookshelf.

Average Customer Review: ( 6 customer reviews )
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As with most Williams Sonoma cookbooks, there aren't a lot of recipes, but they're beautifully and appealingly photographed. The methodology is simple, which is particularly appreciated for side dishes (since your attention will probably be on fussing with the preparations for the main course).

Only seven of the recipes are for entrees, among them a butternut squash risotto, spanish omelet of potato, pepper and tomato, and veggie stir-fry with tofu. If you're a vegan, you probably have recipes for such things already (though these look pretty good - I haven't tried them). The book's strength is clearly as a "what shall we have with the roast?" solution, and it does a good job at answering that question. Organized by season, it offers both the obvious choices (simple sauteed eggplant, or fresh peas with mint) and more elaborate concoctions (jerusalem artichoke gratin, or shallots in red wine sauce).

Quite a few of these recipes look good (the shallots in red wine, in particular), but I don't think this book will cause me to shove my old On The Side to the back corner of the cookbook rack.

13 of 16 found the following review helpful:

versatile veggie bookDec 10, 2004
By shoebox36
This book is easy to follow and has gorgeous pictures, so if you want one for beginners or for browsing pleasures this is it.

In terms of recipes the book focuses mostly on side dishes, with the French or Italian-inspired dishes appearing to be the strongest. The Asian-inspired dishes seemed to be rather standard, though that may be because I am much pickier about the latter. The risotto recipes are very good, and most of the side dishes are pretty decent. So I would definitely get this book for quick side dish ideas that still has flavor but won't overtake the main dishes.

6 of 7 found the following review helpful:

A great way to jazz up those boring side dishes!Aug 18, 2007
By Meranda
I really like this book. My #1 suggestion is to try the Grilled Corn with Chile-Lime Butter! It absolutely is the BEST corn on the cob you will ever eat. My husband doesn't even order corn when we go out because he says it doesn't compare to what I make at home.

1 of 1 found the following review helpful:

WS cookbooks are the best.Aug 08, 2011
By Shawn M. Herne
Williams Sonoma cookbooks are the best. They are easy to read, great pictures, and the food is always fantastic.

1 of 3 found the following review helpful:

Beautiful pictures, good recipesJan 12, 2010
By The Girl Who Loved Books
Some very creative recipes for cooking vegetables. The photos are lovely; my veggies never look that great.

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